[7][8] The VAI is a Company Limited by Guarantee run by paid staff under a voluntary board of professional artists, and primarily receives its funding by way of grants from the Arts Council.

[10] The VAI regularly holds professional development workshops and network building events throughout the island, including 'speed-curating' programmes, webinars, talks, "Artist Cafes", and "Helpdesks/Clinics".

[15] VAI publishes a free newspaper, The Visual Artists' Newssheet, six times a year,[16] as well as a twice weekly 'e-bulletin' advertising opportunities and exhibitions.

[27] The organisation has been an active whistleblower on this issue, naming the National Gallery of Ireland as a culprit in not paying artists, even though the exhibition requires a paid ticket.

[29] The VAI welcomed this move and reported that an important additional gain was that "it grants professional status, which in turn recognizes the special circumstances that artists encounter in their search for commissions and employment.