The Artist's Contract: Drafting New Terms for 2021

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I have been energized these past few months by the myriad ways that artists and arts workers are advocating for a more just and equitable art world. I am feeling the urgency and watching the acceleration of advocacy in so many arenas of our lives, and as luck would have it, I have been in conversation with someone who shares my desire to create supportive structures for artists.

Stemming from a question I asked about fractional ownership for artists, Artist and Attorney Susan Schwartz has been deep in research on artists contracts. This has opened up a can of worms about many issues impacting artists’ ability to protect their work and so together we are offering a workshop and discussion to create an updated Artist’s Contract for today’s needs and realities. 

In 1971, The Artist’s Reserved Rights Transfer and Sale Agreement  (the “Artist’s Contract”) was created by Curator Seth Siegelaub and Attorney Robert Projansky.  It was created and then distributed in poster form as a tool for artists to protect their rights once their work has been sold. 

Many of the terms of this contract were radical for their time, and remain so today.

Some things have also changed in the art world; new methodologies have developed.  As the 50th anniversary of The Artist’s Contract approaches it is time to update this contract for today’s reality. 

Join us on August 24 as Susan Schwartz leads the workshop including a seminar on the history of the Artist’s Contract and an introduction to current needs and existing legal frameworks around the protection of artists’ rights for their artwork. The 2nd half of the workshop will include an open discussion for artists to voice their interests and concerns for what should be included in a new, updated Artist’s Contract for 2021.

We invite you to participate in the shaping of this new contract. After the workshop, Susan Schwartz will draft the new contract, which will be available and widely distributed for artists’ use. 

Please join us and spread the word.

 

August 24, 2020
10am - 12:30pm PST

1st Hour:
Seminar on artist contracts and the context of the 1971 Artist’s Contract.

2nd Hour:
Open forum for artists to discuss current concerns and goals for a new Artist’s Contract.