[Dion]

Wildrose licence plate competition not ethical, says Alberta artist

Amanda Shutz, a graphic designer in Edmonton, likes the idea of helping charities but says a contest means many artists would not be properly compensated since only the winner would receive something.

"Designers aren't being necessarily paid for their work and, while the end result someone is donating funds to charity, it's really unethical to be expecting people in the creative field to be doing design work for no payment."

The Edmonton firm which designed its own plate and then shared it on social media last week will not be taking part in the contest.

Like Shutz, Graphos President Laurier Mandin is opposed to designers doing work for free. Although the Graphos plate is already complete, Mandin is refusing to submit the design on principle.

"We've been in business for 22 years and a lot of young, up and coming designers really look up to us," he said.

"And that was where we felt we couldn’t go and enter a contest that was kind of against what we would otherwise stand for, just because it would be easy for us.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgar...tist-1.2709791