Blog

Oregon Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts

I'm flattered to have been invited by Oregon Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts (OVLA) to join their Resource Council. I look forward to contributing and supporting their efforts in helping the “creative community by providing legal assistance, resources and educational...

Don’t Take Pictures

I was flattered to be approached by Kat Kiernan at Don't Take Pictures to contribute to their “Rule Breakers” column. My sincere thanks to Caleb Charland for being open and contributing images to the piece, and to my dear colleague Peggy Sue Amison for introducing me...

Lenscratch Interview

I am exceedingly honored to have been interviewed by Aline Smithson for her Mixtape series on Lenscratch. The interview touches on my path to and passion for photography, as well as what I'm working on and the ways I have helped others (my favorite part of the job)....

“Determining Value”

I am honored to be one of the contributors to The Photo Archive Handbook:  What you need to know, by Mary Engel, sponsored by the American Photography Archives Group (APAG).  The handbook will be available for purchase at APAG’s booth at the AIPAD Photo Show, Pier 94,...

Art Collectors Discover Irrevocable Trusts

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL | by DANIEL GRANT A common estate-planning tool, the irrevocable trust, is increasingly being used for an uncommon purpose: It allows art owners to reap tax savings by transferring ownership of their paintings or other collectible objects, but...

Revaluing Family Treasures for the Taxman

A key point to bear in mind when reading the following article:  When it comes to the valuation of an estate—real property, assets and collectibles—the official date of valuation is the date of the decedent's death.*  To clarify, if Mrs. Wallace (the surviving spouse)...

Taxing times: private museums under scrutiny by US government

THE ART NEWSPAPER | by JULIA HALPERIN Who benefits most from tax breaks on private art museums: patrons or the public? The US government is scrutinising the tax-exempt status of private museums and questioning whether some institutions benefit their wealthy founders...

European Copyright Reform Could Restrict Photography in Public Spaces

As copyright legislation in the U.S. has often been modeled after precedents in the U.K. and Europe, this most recent European reform should be of interest to many of us. HYPERALLERGIC | by ALLISON MEIER Restrictions on photographing or filming copyrighted art,...

Mitigating Obstacles

The American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP) recently invited me to write a short piece for their "Strictly Business" blog, a multi-author blog featuring over 30 regular contributors and frequent guest experts.  For professional still and motion photographers,...

“NY State Senate Passes Bill Protecting Art Authenticators from Bogus Lawsuits”

HYPERALLERGIC | By LAURA C. MALLONEE Art authenticators can finally breathe a sigh of relief: on Monday, the New York State Senate passed much-anticipated legislation that protects them from frivolous libel lawsuits. Act S1229A states that only “valid, verifiable...

Ruth Silverman (1936 – 2015)

Written by Susanna Briselli & Leah Eskin Ruth Silverman, the noted photographer, curator, and author, died in her home in Berkeley, California, on April 10. She was 78. The cause was complications from Parkinson’s disease. She is remembered for her groundbreaking...

The “Gold Standard” of Appraising — USPAP

Facets of the art world have become more professionalized in the last several decades. As the industry has grown, so have subsidiary disciplines, including curatorial, conservation, and appraisal practice. As little as 30 years ago, an appraisal was commonly a...

$2.5 Million Claim Over Damaged Richard Avedon Triptych

What is the value of damaged goods? It’s a challenging question, primarily because there are so many factors to consider, not to mention that there is no one answer, much less a “right” answer. Appraising damaged and repaired artwork is especially difficult, because...