THE HOUSE OF BELLARES
ARTIST MEMBERSHIP TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Subscriptions, Commissions & Revenue
Effective Date: 01 July 2026
These Terms and Conditions ("Terms") govern participation in the Artist Membership Programme offered by The House of Bellares ("The House of Bellares", "THB", "we", "our", or "us"). By creating an artist account, subscribing to any membership plan, uploading artwork, listing artwork, receiving enquiries, or using our platform, the artist, member, or subscriber ("Artist", "Member", "you", or "your") confirms that they have read, understood, and agree to be legally bound by these Terms, together with the Platform's General Terms of Use, Privacy Policy, Payment Policy, Commission Policy, and any other applicable policies published by The House of Bellares.
1. Membership Programme
The House of Bellares offers membership plans designed to support artists at different stages of their professional careers. Membership benefits, subscription fees, commission rates, promotional opportunities, and available services vary according to the selected membership plan.
The House of Bellares may modify, suspend, introduce, replace, or discontinue membership plans, benefits, promotional offers, subscription fees, commission rates, or services at any time. Existing members shall receive reasonable notice of any material changes affecting their subscription, except where urgent operational, legal, security, or regulatory reasons require immediate action.
The House of Bellares reserves the sole discretion to approve, refuse, suspend, downgrade, or terminate any membership application or account in accordance with these Terms.
2. Free Artist Membership Plan
The Free Artist Membership Plan is available without a monthly subscription charge and is intended primarily for emerging, developing, and newly established artists seeking exposure through The House of Bellares marketplace.
Current subscription fee: ₦0.00 per month.
Free Artist Members may maintain a maximum of ten (10) active artwork listings at any one time. Artists wishing to list additional artworks may remove existing listings or upgrade to a higher membership plan where available.
Benefits include: a public artist profile; listing of up to ten (10) artworks; a basic digital portfolio page; access to the online marketplace; and the ability to receive direct enquiries from collectors and prospective buyers through the platform.
Where a sale is concluded through The House of Bellares platform, The House of Bellares shall retain a commission equal to twenty per cent (20%) of the Gross Selling Price of each completed sale. Gross Selling Price means the total purchase price paid by the buyer before deductions.
3. Artist Pro Membership Plan
The Artist Pro Membership is a premium subscription designed for emerging, established, and mid-career artists seeking increased visibility, professional recognition, and enhanced commercial opportunities through The House of Bellares platform.
Promotional offer: two (2) calendar months of Pro Membership at no cost. No payment is required during the promotional period, and participation does not create an obligation to continue after the promotional period. The promotional offer may be withdrawn, amended, suspended, or terminated by The House of Bellares at any time without prior notice.
Following the promotional period, the current subscription fee is ₦5,000 (Five Thousand Nigerian Naira) per calendar month, approximately $3.62 subject to prevailing exchange rates, or ₦54,000 (Fifty-four Thousand Nigerian Naira) per year with a ten per cent (10%) annual discount. Subscription fees are payable in advance and automatically renew monthly or annually unless cancelled in accordance with these Terms.
Benefits include: display of up to one hundred (100) artworks; eligibility for Featured Artist promotions; sales performance analytics where available; invitations to selected exhibitions, networking events, workshops, webinars, and promotional activities; newsletter and selected marketing campaign promotion; a verified portfolio badge after completion of the platform verification process; and priority consideration for platform initiatives and promotional opportunities where applicable.
For every completed sale facilitated through The House of Bellares platform, The House of Bellares shall retain a commission of fifteen per cent (15%) of the final sale price, exclusive of applicable taxes unless otherwise stated.
4. Artist Premium Membership Plan
The Artist Premium Membership is designed for established professional artists seeking enhanced visibility, marketing support, international exposure, and premium marketplace services.
Promotional offer: two (2) calendar months of Premium Membership at no cost. No payment is required during the promotional period, and participation does not create an obligation to continue after the promotional period. The promotional offer may be withdrawn, amended, suspended, or terminated by The House of Bellares at any time without prior notice.
Following the promotional period, the current monthly subscription fee is ₦15,000 (Fifteen Thousand Nigerian Naira), or the equivalent amount in United States Dollars (USD) or other supported currencies, calculated using the exchange rate adopted by The House of Bellares or its payment processor at the time of payment. Artists choosing annual billing shall receive a ten per cent (10%) discount. Annual subscriptions are payable in advance and are non-refundable except where required by applicable law.
Benefits include: unlimited artwork listings; homepage promotional placement subject to editorial scheduling; professional curatorial review; priority customer support; participation in international marketing campaigns; eligibility for virtual exhibitions organised by The House of Bellares; and additional promotional opportunities introduced from time to time.
For every artwork sale facilitated through the platform by Premium Members, The House of Bellares shall retain a commission of ten per cent (10%) of the final selling price.
5. Promotional Free Trials
Promotional free trials apply only where expressly offered by The House of Bellares. A promotional free trial is not redeemable for cash, credit, or transfer to another person.
At the end of the promotional period, the Artist may elect to continue by subscribing at the prevailing subscription rate. The House of Bellares may request payment details before or after the promotional period, depending on the payment system in use.
If the Artist does not continue after the promotional period, paid membership benefits may cease, and the account may be downgraded to the applicable membership tier.
6. Subscription Payments, Renewal and Cancellation
Subscription fees are payable in advance and may automatically renew for successive billing periods using the Artist's selected payment method unless cancelled before the renewal date.
The Artist authorises The House of Bellares or its approved payment provider to process recurring payments until cancelled.
Failure of payment may result in suspension of membership benefits, removal of promotional placements, suspension from exhibitions, restriction of artwork visibility, downgrade to another membership tier, or termination of membership until payment has been successfully received.
The Artist may cancel a paid subscription at any time through the account dashboard or by contacting customer support. Cancellation prevents future subscription charges but does not entitle the Artist to a refund for the current paid billing period unless required by applicable law.
Subscription fees already paid are generally non-refundable. Refunds may only be issued where required by applicable law, where duplicate payments have been made, or where an administrative error has occurred.
7. Commission, Circumvention and Direct Enquiries
Commission becomes due immediately upon successful completion of a sale facilitated through The House of Bellares platform, including online sales, commissioned artworks secured through the platform, private sales originating from introductions made through The House of Bellares, collector referrals generated by the platform, and exhibition sales facilitated by The House of Bellares.
Where an enquiry or introduction originates through The House of Bellares and results in a sale, whether completed immediately or within twelve (12) months of the initial introduction, the applicable commission remains payable to The House of Bellares.
Artists shall not intentionally circumvent the platform, conclude transactions outside The House of Bellares with collectors first introduced through the platform, or otherwise attempt to avoid commission payments. Where circumvention occurs, the Artist remains liable to pay the applicable commission and may have their membership suspended or terminated.
8. Revenue Distribution and Authorised Deductions
Following successful completion of a sale, The House of Bellares shall collect payment from the purchaser, deduct the applicable commission and authorised deductions, and remit the remaining balance to the Artist using the payment method registered in the Artist's account.
Authorised deductions may include payment processing charges, applicable taxes, shipping or logistics costs where agreed, customs duties where applicable, approved restoration, framing, insurance, handling costs, refunds, chargebacks, or any other charges previously disclosed to or agreed with the Artist.
Payments shall normally be processed within the payment period specified or published by The House of Bellares after confirmation of successful delivery, expiry of any return period where applicable, and receipt of cleared funds.
The House of Bellares may temporarily withhold payment where there is a payment dispute, suspected fraud, chargeback, intellectual property claim, disputed ownership, anti-money laundering verification, breach of these Terms, ongoing investigation, or legal or regulatory requirement.
The House of Bellares shall not be responsible for delays caused by banks, payment processors, foreign exchange providers, government restrictions, verification procedures, force majeure events, or technical failures beyond its reasonable control.
9. Artist Responsibilities and Warranties
The Artist warrants and represents that all submitted artworks are original or lawfully authorised; the Artist owns or controls all rights necessary to display, promote, and sell the artworks; uploaded information is accurate and complete; artwork descriptions, dimensions, editions, pricing, provenance statements, and availability details are truthful; submitted materials do not infringe any copyright, trademark, moral right, privacy right, or other third-party right; and all artworks comply with applicable laws.
The Artist shall promptly notify The House of Bellares of any inaccuracies, disputes, changes in availability, ownership claims, intellectual property concerns, or legal restrictions affecting an artwork.
The Artist shall indemnify and hold harmless The House of Bellares against claims, losses, costs, damages, expenses, or liabilities arising from breach of these warranties or from unlawful, fraudulent, infringing, or misleading content supplied by the Artist.
10. Ownership and Intellectual Property
Ownership of each artwork remains with the Artist until the artwork has been fully purchased and payment has been completed by the buyer. Listing artwork on The House of Bellares does not transfer ownership to The House of Bellares.
The Artist retains all copyright, moral rights, and intellectual property rights in their artworks unless otherwise agreed in writing.
By uploading artwork, the Artist grants The House of Bellares a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to display artwork; reproduce artwork images; advertise artwork; promote the Artist; market exhibitions; publish artist profiles; and use artwork images on websites, catalogues, social media, newsletters, printed publications, exhibitions, and promotional materials solely for purposes connected with operating, marketing, and promoting The House of Bellares.
This licence continues while the artwork remains listed or while promotional material is in circulation. It terminates upon removal of the artwork except where archival, legal, regulatory, historical, accounting, or record-keeping purposes require retention.
11. Verification, Featured Opportunities, Analytics and Events
A verified portfolio badge signifies only that the Artist's submitted identity and profile documentation have been verified to the satisfaction of The House of Bellares or that the Artist has satisfied the platform's verification requirements. Verification does not constitute endorsement, appraisal, authentication of artistic merit, investment advice, or guarantee of future sales.
Featured Artist placements, homepage promotions, newsletter features, exhibitions, virtual exhibitions, marketing campaigns, and other promotional opportunities are granted solely at the discretion of The House of Bellares. Selection may consider artistic quality, originality, completeness of portfolio, engagement with the platform, market demand, campaign strategy, editorial considerations, capacity limits, geographical restrictions, and operational priorities.
Where available, sales analytics are provided solely for informational purposes. The House of Bellares does not guarantee the completeness, accuracy, or uninterrupted availability of analytical data, and analytics should not be treated as financial, investment, or commercial advice.
Invitations to exhibitions, networking events, educational programmes, workshops, webinars, product launches, and promotional activities do not guarantee attendance or participation where events have selection criteria, space limits, or geographical restrictions.
12. Pricing and Taxes
Artists are responsible for determining the selling price of their artwork. The House of Bellares may provide pricing guidance, but accepts no responsibility for pricing decisions made by the Artist.
Artists remain solely responsible for income tax, value added tax (VAT), withholding tax, customs obligations, export requirements, and any other taxes arising from the sale of artwork, except where The House of Bellares is legally required to deduct, collect, report, or remit tax before payment.
13. Payment Processing
Payments shall be made through payment providers approved by The House of Bellares. The House of Bellares is not responsible for delays, failed payments, exchange rate changes, account restrictions, or processing issues caused by banking institutions, payment processors, foreign exchange providers, government restrictions, verification procedures, technical failures, or circumstances beyond its reasonable control.
14. Marketing, Promotion and Curatorial Review
Curatorial review is intended to improve presentation, visibility, and professional standards. Recommendations are advisory only, and The House of Bellares retains editorial discretion regarding homepage features, exhibitions, promotional campaigns, marketing priorities, and platform presentation.
Membership does not guarantee sales, media coverage, collector engagement, investment, exhibition selection, international representation, or commercial success.
15. Suspension, Downgrade and Termination
The House of Bellares may suspend, downgrade, restrict, or terminate membership immediately where the Artist breaches these Terms; submits fraudulent information; uploads counterfeit, illegal, offensive, or infringing material; infringes intellectual property rights; engages in abusive, illegal, deceptive, or unethical conduct; manipulates sales, pricing, reviews, or transactions; attempts to avoid commission; damages the reputation or operation of The House of Bellares; or where legal, regulatory, security, or risk-management reasons require action.
Termination does not extinguish accrued rights, unpaid commissions, pending payments, subscription fees due, outstanding financial obligations, indemnities, or legal remedies available to either party.
16. Limitation of Liability
To the fullest extent permitted by law, The House of Bellares shall not be liable for indirect, incidental, consequential, special, reputational, economic, or punitive loss; loss of profits; loss of anticipated sales; loss of opportunity; buyer misconduct; shipping delays; courier damage; technical interruptions; cyber incidents; payment processor failures; foreign exchange fluctuations; or delays beyond its reasonable control.
Where legally permitted, the total liability of The House of Bellares arising from a paid membership shall not exceed the subscription fees paid by the Artist during the twelve (12) months immediately preceding the relevant claim. Nothing in these Terms excludes liability that cannot lawfully be excluded.
17. Amendments to Terms and Benefits
The House of Bellares may amend these Terms, membership benefits, subscription fees, commission percentages, available services, payment arrangements, or promotional offerings from time to time. Material amendments shall become effective upon publication on the platform or by written notification, unless a different effective date is stated.
Such amendments shall not ordinarily affect transactions completed before the effective date of the change. Continued use of the platform or membership after publication of revised Terms constitutes acceptance of those amendments.
18. Governing Law and Dispute Resolution
These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the jurisdiction in which The House of Bellares is incorporated or principally conducts its business, unless mandatory consumer protection laws require otherwise.
Any dispute arising under these Terms shall first be referred to good-faith negotiation. Where unresolved, the dispute shall be submitted to the competent courts of that jurisdiction or to an agreed alternative dispute resolution mechanism, unless otherwise required by applicable law.
19. Acceptance
By registering as an Artist Member, subscribing to a membership plan, uploading artwork, receiving enquiries, completing sales, or continuing to use The House of Bellares platform, the Artist confirms that they have read, understood, and agree to these Terms; understand their legal effect; authorise The House of Bellares to deduct applicable commissions; and authorise subscription payments to be processed in accordance with these Terms.
20. Contact
Questions concerning these Terms should be directed to:
The House of Bellares
Email: admin@thehouseofbellares.com
Website: https://thehouseofbellares.com/contact/
Telephone: +2348060882227 / +447513422957
