With a Focus on the Estates and Legacies of Artists, a New Advisory Opens for Business

During life, Vincent van Gogh was unable to reap the benefits or enjoy the renown and fame his name carries today. This is the case for many artists who earn little recognition until after their demise and through the passage of time. The world of art is fickle, and art history tends to be capricious. For artists without resources to fund a foundation, it can be difficult to ensure a lifetime of artwork survives after their death.

Now, a group of art professions may have a solution. A cohort made up of art advisors, critics, historians, and teachers has gathered to form a company, Art Legacy Planning, that will provide consulting services to heirs, collectors, artists, and anyone else in need of estate or foundation planning that involves art. The company seems to be the first of its kind and plans to cater to artists’ heirs in addition to active artists. Mary Dinaburg, one of the partners behind the enterprise notes, “Nobody likes to think of their demise. You make art to not die, obviously, but by actively following through on estate planning you can be organized before you leave the world.”

See Andrew Russeth, With a Focus on the Estates and Legacies of Artists, a New Advisory Opens for Business, Art News, September 29, 2017.

Special thanks to Jim Hillhouse (Professional Legal Marketing (PLM, Inc.) for bringing this article to my attention.