Estate Planning Guide

A Visual Artist's
Guide to Estate Planning

Now Available OnLine!
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A VISUAL ARTIST'S GUIDE TO ESTATE PLANNING

A Visual Artist's Guide to Estate Planning is a comprehensive handbook designed to assist artists in planning their estates. The book has two main parts and an appendix. Part I introduces general estate planning concepts and offers practical advice and a discussion of legal issues raised by artists at an estate planning conference. Part II consists of an in-depth discussion of policy and law on selected issues of estate planning and administration for visual artists. This section was written by the Committee on Art Law of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York. The Appendix contains sample forms, resources, and additional information.

The Marie Walsh Sharpe Art Foundation and The Judith Rothschild Foundation co-sponsored a Visual Artists Estate Planning Conference in New York. Artists, accountants, archivists, art dealers, curators, lawyers, writers, and representatives from foundations, government, museums, and other nonprofit organizations attended. During the two day conference they discussed practical and legal issues related to artists' estates both in planning and in administering an artist's estate. A Visual Artist's Guide to Estate Planning is a result of this project.

The 2008 Supplement Update, now online, by Barbara Hoffman and other contributors will discuss in greater detail recent developments with respect to artist's foundations and other significant changes in the tax and other laws. Click here to download the 2008 Supplement Update. The Foundation welcomes emails relating to any significant and positive experiences artists or their estates have had in creating and operating foundations, send emails to sharpeartfdn@qwest.net.

2008 Supplement Update to A Visual Artist's Guide to Estate Planning is now available online:
Click Here to go to Download Page