Sponsored
How New Mexico artists and collectors can take control of their creative legacy
It's the question many artists and even some collectors quietly carry but rarely say out loud: 鈥淲hat happens to all of this work when I'm gone?鈥�
Nancy Zastudil, who has spent her career at the intersection of art curation, writing, and stewardship, has been hearing this a lot recently. The comments got her thinking more about the local void in artist legacy planning. Legacy work came into sharp focus for her when she worked for the Frederick Hammersley Foundation, helping to place the sa国际传媒官网网页入口 artist鈥檚 work in significant collections nationwide and navigating the full complexity of what an artist leaves behind.
Since then, Zastudil has watched artist legacy work grow from a niche conversation happening mostly on the coasts into a genuine field of study and practice. Her participation in related trainings and events, and her conversations among artist communities nationwide, kept bringing her back to New Mexico with a singular conviction: This region's artists need legacy resources, too.
The result is, a two-day event June 13-14 at the sa国际传媒官网网页入口 Museum. It is intended to offer the local arts community 鈥� artists, artisans, and collectors 鈥� education and resources around legacy planning.
"Legacy means something different to everybody," Zastudil said. "There's no one-size-fits-all answer. It's really specific to the artist themselves."
For some, legacy means placing work in major museum collections. For others, it might mean donating a single artwork to a local institution or leaving funds behind for a cause that mattered to them. The artist spectrum runs wide 鈥� from painters and sculptors to performance artists, filmmakers, and makers of ephemera 鈥� and Legacy Lab applies to them all, Zastudil said.
"I want people to know it will be a welcoming event," she said. "Come with questions."
Day one is a free public seminar featuring four panel discussions covering everything from legal structures and tax implications, to archival best practices, and estate planning for physical property as well as digital spaces. There's also a keynote address from Ruby Lerner, founding executive director of New York鈥揵ased granting organization Creative Capital.
Day two offers three subject-specific, application-based workshops for artists ready to take concrete action. Applications are due May 22. Learn more about the event, and register at.
