Online Legal Resource for Elder Artists
In 2007, Research Center for Art and Culture (RCAC) at Columbia University published a study called Above Ground: Information on Artists III: NYC Aging Artists.
The study revealed a great lack of legacy planning in the visual arts community. As an example, 61% of aging visual artists have made no preparations for their artwork after their death.
In response to the study's findings, in 2010 RCAC launched ART CART: Saving the Legacy, an educational program at several colleges and universities in New York and Washington, DC. The program provided aging artists with hands-on support to manage and preserve their life's work, and by provided students with experience and mentorship in the preservation of artistic legacy.
This November, RCAC packaged many of the practical advice and planning guidance developed through ART CART into a website that can be used by artists across the country. The Elder Artists' Legal Resource website is a collaboration among Columbia Law School, the City University of New York Elder Law Clinic, Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts, and RCAC, which is now housed at the National Center for Creative Aging. The website provides solid advice and templates for inventory development, valuation and taxation issues, and estate planning.