Artist Rights

An artist’s work does not end when a piece leaves the studio. Protecting the integrity of that work is at the heart of the legal scheme protecting artists and their work. Our practice advocates for artists under the Visual Artists Rights Act (VARA) and similar protections, safeguarding their moral rights, including attribution, integrity, and protection against unauthorized modification or destruction of their art. We help artists assert their rights when their work is misused or misrepresented, and we counsel on proactive strategies to embed protections into agreements from the start.

The Art Law Lab also helps artists maintain their rights when selling their works, which are too-often missed. Whether it is ensuring that you retain the copyright in your work, ensuring that you control how the work is displayed, ensuring that the work is attributed to you, providing you a right of first refusal, and ensuring that you do not get bogged down by the boilerplate involved in the sale of your work, we are prepared to ensure that your work and your legacy are protected.

Our approach blends legal strategy with advocacy for fairness in the art market. Whether you’re an emerging artist ensuring recognition of your work, an established creator navigating secondary-market sales, or an estate safeguarding an artist’s legacy, we provide tailored counsel. At the Art Law Lab, we believe that protecting artist rights is not just about legal compliance—it’s about honoring the creative labor, vision, and genius that give art its enduring power.