ESTATE & LEGACY PLANNING
We believe every artist should protect their legacy. The VLA works with estate planning attorneys familiar with the unique challenges representing an artist’s estate and dedicated to assisting artists to develop a legacy plan. It’s never too early or too late to think seriously about your legacy and to take steps that will make a difference!
Renowned abstract expressionist painter Walter Feldman (center) with artists Jessica Tam and Gabriel Sosa, recipients of the Fellowship in his name.
Since 1989, the VLA has educated artists about the importance of legacy planning, from understanding how copyright law can affect their estate, to practical methods for better cataloguing and preparing their works for disposition. To further our mission, we have partnered with the Joan Mitchell Foundation, which shares our commitment to supporting artists in this process. Our collaboration with the Foundation’s Creating a Living Legacy (CALL) program has to date included the publication of two workbooks featured below.
The Workbook for Visual Artists
introduces visual artists to a variety of important estate planning issues and provides tools for artists to have meaningful discussions with loved ones, with an estate planning attorney, and with others who may participate in implementing an estate plan.
The Workbook for Attorneys & Executors
provides a resource and framework for professionals already familiar with legacy planning concepts to work with artists and expand their breadth and depth of knowledge in this area.
The legal content of these workbooks was created by Megan Low, Legacy Consultant, and Jim Grace.
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The VLA serves Massachusetts- and Connecticut-based individual artists, arts nonprofits, and other arts and cultural organizations in civil, non-criminal legal matters. The VLA serves artists of all disciplines, including visual artists, musicians, writers, and performance artists. Additionally, through the Patent Pro Bono Program of New England, the VLA serves low-income, independent inventors in Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island.