The Master Artist: Unlike other Twentieth & Twenty-First Century careers few visual artists become accomplished Masters of Art until their later years. These artists are not an exception, but a rule, and are following the natural growth process of all gifted artists. The greatest artists do not retire!  Art-Work is a lifetime of effort and endeavor.
Henri Matisse:  80’s; Claude Monet:  80’s; Pablo Picasso: 90’s; Salvadore Dali:  90’s.

Ways & Means: The Collector & the Artist

Art Collections and The Collector
“Art collecting has a long history, and most of the world’s art museums grew out of great collections formed by royalty, the aristocracy, or the wealthy.” However, in the 20th and 21st century, art collecting has become increasingly more financially accessible to most citizens. Many individuals are directly handling their financial accounts or working through a financial advisor. They’ve learned the importance of diversifying their holdings to include stocks and bonds, property and artwork.  “The volume and scope of art collecting have continued to expand … resulting in ever-higher prices for works of art.”  For example, the 2006 Spring market’s vitality for contemporary art reached $432 million in sales.

The arts are the visual life-spring to which all artists aspire to attain. Viewers complete the creative life circle by seeing and feeling the truth of artwork through their own realities. The artist is considered a master-artist upon reaching a personal level of performance that is both connected and constant.

State & Federal Legislation

California Resale Royalties Act (CA Civil Code S986)
“…provides the creator of “fine art” the right to receive a royalty upon the resale of his or her creations.” In part, the statute reads:  (a) Whenever a work of fine art is sold and the seller resides in California or the sale takes place in California, the seller or the seller’s agent shall pay to the artist of such a work of fine art or to such artist’s agent 5 percent of the amount of such sale.  For additional information: http://ivanhoffman.com/crra.htm

California Art Preservation Act (CA Civil Code S987)
In part, the statute reads (a) The Legislature hereby finds and declares that the physical alteration or destruction of an expression of the artist’s personality, is detrimental to the artist’s reputation, and artists therefore have an interest in protecting their works of fine art against any alteration or destruction; that there is also a pubic interest in preserving the integrity of cultural and artistic creations.  The term, “Fine Art” includes Public Art forms.  http://www.sfartscommission.org/pubart/about_us/policies_guidelines/capa.htm

Visual Artists Rights Act (VARA-17 U.S.C.)
Vara Federal Legislation grants artists two new rights: the right to claim authorship of a work created by the artist [attribution]; and the right to deny authorship of a work not the artist’s own [integrity].  “The right of integrity concerns the artist’s right to prevent or to recover damages for the intentional distortion, mutilation, modification, or destruction of his work.  The revolutionary aspect of VARA is that the artist retains these rights throughout his lifetime, even when the original work to be protected is no longer in his possession.”  http://www.studiolo.org/CIP/VARA/CIP-VARA.htm

Artist Deduction Legislation (Rep. John Lewis, Chief Sponsor)
Legislation has been introduced to give artists equal treatment to collectors when they donate their artwork to a collecting or educational institution. “Currently, a collector may take a tax deduction for the fair-market value of the work, but creators may deduct only their basic value- essentially the cost of materials such as paint and canvas. The Senate has approved identical legislation for the past several years, but the House has failed to follow suit.” -Americans for the Arts Monthly Wire-March 2007-   For more information: Andy Finch, Sr. Director of Government Affairs, afinch@artsusa.org.