It’s not easy being a street-side caricature artist in Toronto.

Perhaps that’s why there are none.

For the past four years, the City of Toronto has banned new portrait artists from working in the public realm because “of the concentration in the downtown wards,” said Carleton Grant, a municipal licensing and standards director.

Since then, the original permit holders have moved on and not a single portrait artist is working on city sidewalks, according to a new staff report that’s recommending changes to reverse the trend.

The required $2 million liability insurance and $468-a-year permit fee (about $400 more than a busker pays) was a “financial hindrance,” a city spokesperson said.

“That really explains why nobody is doing (caricature) art on the streets,” said Toronto artist Alma Roussy, who for the past 35 years has specialized in caricature illustrations. “There’s just no money in it.”

Roussy fell in love with the exaggerated drawing style of caricature 35 years ago when she got a job at Ontario Place. Now, she draws for guests at corporate and special events.

“I recognized of all the forms of art you can do, having the ability to make people laugh is a very powerful thing,” she said.

A city without caricature artists is “sterile and grey,” said artist Rob Westall, who believes caricature brings “life to the environment” and doesn’t understand why the restrictions exist.

“There’s no noise or damage, just somebody drawing pictures,” he said.

City staff are recommending the licensing and standards committee lift the moratorium on portrait artist permits, lower the permit fee to $40 a year and remove the requirement for insurance. Staff also recommends adding more designated locations to the existing 26.

If approved, the item will go to council for a final decision later this month.

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Digital caricature artist Jason Wilkins also works private functions, but said if the city lowered its permit fee he’d be more inclined give street art a try and thinks others would too.

“It would be kind of a gateway, allowing artists to get out there and draw for the hell of it,” he said. “And it is a way for artists to be discovered.”

While the bylaw change would make it easier for portrait artists to delight passersby, it would remain difficult to earn a living, said Roussy, who draws at corporate and special events

“It would be great to have more caricature artists in Toronto, but I don’t feel the street pays enough to make it worth it,” Roussy said, adding the city should hire portrait artists for its events at an hourly rate because “artists deserve to make a living wage.”