Greetings!
Last month, VLA held
its first Art & Law Residency Exhibition and Symposium with over
300 people attending both events. We are very pleased that the
Exhibition and Symposium received press coverage from Artnet and
DNAinfo. Applications for the 2011 Art & Law Residency are now
being accepted. For more information, please view our guidelines.
VLA welcomes two new
legal fellows, Dena Bouchard and Anna Kadyshevich to our staff. Dena received a
B.A. from University of
Michigan and a J.D. from Emory University School of Law. Anna received
a B.A. from McGill University
and a J.D. from Columbia Law School. VLA is
also pleased to welcome our new Brooklyn
Law School
and Columbia University Law School interns.
On September 13, Elena Paul will visit Rockland County to present a workshop on Contract Essentials and Negotiation Skills. Elena's Fashion and Law Series continues this month with Embodied Branding and Self Identity and for those interested in launching a fashion start-up, Starting Your Fashion Business.
On September 23, Sergio Muņoz Sarmiento will offer a free CLE class on Copyright and Contemporary Art for all of VLA's Young Associate Members (YAM). The
class will discuss copyright cases and contemporary art, and will offer 2.0 CLE
hours to participating attorneys. After this class, YAMS are encouraged to join Sergio
at Connelly's Pub & Restaurant (43 W. 54th Street),
from 6-7pm, for complimentary drinks and discussions on art law and VLA
volunteering opportunities. For more information on how to become a YAM, please view our YAM Membership Form.
Last but not least, don't forget our two best-selling classes: How to Start a Nonprofit Tax-Exempt Organization, and Forming Your For-Profit Arts Business. Both provide a solid
introduction to the legal and business issues arising from nonprofit and
for-profit start-ups.
Please note that the VLA office will be closed on September 6 for Labor Day. We will re-open on September 7.
We're looking forward to a busy September with many exciting classes. Please view our website for more information. Hope to see you at one of our upcoming events!
The VLA Staff |
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NURTUREArt Honors VLA's Sergio Muņoz Sarmiento | | It gives us great pleasure to announce that for their fall benefit this year, NURTUREArt is honoring us and our very own Sergio Muņoz Sarmiento.
NURTUREArt will be holding their benefit at the ZieherSmith gallery in Chelsea on October 12, at 7pm.
If you're an artist, you may submit an artwork for consideration for their fund-raising exhibition (Deadline is Sept. 3, 2010). This year's exhibition curators are Dan Cameron, Ceci Moss, Jane Panetta, and Krista Saunders. Please join us in celebrating this night.
For more information please view NURTUREArt's website here. |
Free CLE Copyright Class and Open Bar for YAM Members
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Description:
With the increase of copyright issues and lawsuits, visual artists, photographers, and designers need to be aware of copyright laws and the legal issues that may affect their practice and presentation of their work.
Using visual examples of recent and current copyright cases, we will cover the basics of copyright law, as well as appropriation, fair use, and the difference between plagiarism and copyright infringement. We will also talk a bit about current artistic practices stemming from the work of Marcel Duchamp.
After the 2-hour class, YAMs are invited to join VLA's Associate Director, Sergio Muņoz Sarmiento, Esq., at Connelly's Pub & Restaurant (43 W. 54th Street) , from 6-7pm, for open bar drinks and snacks.
This class will be taught by Sergio Muņoz Sarmiento, Esq., VLA's Associate Director.
When: Thursday, September 23, 2010
Time: 4pm-6pm*
*2.0 CLE credits, 2 Professional Practice (Approved for Non-Transitional and Transitional Attorneys)
Where: VLA Auditorium, 1 East 53rd Street, NY, NY 10022
Registration Fees:
Free to current VLA YAM members
To register, please send an email to Kathleen Mallaney, VLA's Administrative Assistant, at kmallaney@vlany.org, or contact Kathleen at 212.319.2787 x12.
If you are not a YAM and would like to become a YAM, please click here for more information on becoming a YAM as well as YAM benefits and programs. |
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Volunteer Attorney Orientation |
To volunteer at our clinics or take a case from our case list, VLA requires that attorneys attend a short orientation. At the orientation we will discuss important information about VLA's programs, requirements for volunteers and our administrative procedures.
All Attorneys must register for and attend a New Attorney Orientation before participating in VLA Clinics or taking on a VLA matter.
Orientations will be held on the following dates and times:
Monday, September 13, 2010 6-7pm
Monday, October 4, 2010 6-7pm
Monday, November 1, 2010 6-7pm
Monday, December 6, 2010 6-7pm
Where:
VLA Auditorium, 1 East 53rd Street, NY, NY 10022
To register for a New Attorney Orientation please fill out and return this New Attorney Orientation Form. You will only be contacted if that orientation is already full. Attorney orientations are conducted by Ben Brandow, Assistant Director of Legal Services. For additional information please contact Ben at 212·319·ARTS (2787), ext. 14 or at bbrandow@vlany.org.
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Class: Nonprofit Incorporation and Tax-Exemption Workshop
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This workshop provides valuable information about starting a nonprofit organization. New York State issues to be covered include articles of incorporation, bylaws, and the first organization meeting. Federal issues include the Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3) and corresponding regulations, application for employer identification number, IRS disclosure rules, unrelated business taxable income, charitable contributions, and restrictions on lobbying. VLA requires all applicants seeking Nonprofit Incorporation and Tax Exempt Status services through VLA to attend one of these workshops before a volunteer attorney can be assigned to them.
Classes will be held on the following dates and times:
Tuesday, September 14, 2010, 1-4pm*
Tuesday, October 5, 2010, 1-4pm
Tuesday, November 9, 2010 1-4pm*
Tuesday, December 7, 2010 1-4pm
*3.0 Transitional CLE credits (Available to all Attorneys), 2 Professional Practice and 1 Skills.
Where:
VLA Auditorium, 1 East 53rd Street, NY, NY 10022
Registration Fees: (there is a late registration fee of $10 if you register the day of the class)
Arts Professional VLA Member: $75
Arts Professional Non-VLA Member: $100
VLA Legal Professional Member: $150
Legal Professional Non-Member: $200
(Additional individuals from the same start-up organization may register for an additional $25 ea.)
To register, please complete and return this registration form. All registration fees are non-refundable. For more information, please call Joni Todd at 212.319.2787 x10 or email her at jtodd@vlany.org.
This program is funded in part by The Edmond de Rothschild Foundation Nonprofit Assistance Program.
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Class: Forming Your For-Profit Arts Business | |
This workshop provides valuable information about starting an arts-related business. Covered issues also include: For vs. Non-Profit incorporation, fiscal sponsorship, selecting and protecting business names; the legal and tax characteristics of LLCs and publication requirements, partnerships, and type C and S corporations; choice of jurisdiction; financing your business; employees and independent contracts; and insurance.
Classes will be held on the following dates and times:
Wednesday, September 1, 2010, 4-6pm
Thursday, October 7, 2010, 4-6pm
Thursday, December 9, 2010, 4-6pm
Where:
VLA Auditorium, 1 East 53rd Street, NY, NY 10022
Registration Fees: (there is a late registration fee of $10 if you register the day of the class)
Arts Professional Member: $75
Arts Professional Non-VLA member: $100
VLA Legal Professional Member: $150
VLALegal Professional Non-Member: $175
This class will be taught by Elena M. Paul, Esq., VLA's Executive Director. To register, please complete and return this registration form. All registration fees are non-refundable. For more information, please call Joni Todd at 212.319.2787 x10, or e-mail her at jtodd@vlany.org. |
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Class: Legal Issues in Film |
This class will provide an overview of the legal issues and common business arrangements used in film and television projects. In addition, the class will discuss option agreements for the acquisition of literary properties and distribution agreements, as well as review a comprehensive release for reality based television programming. We will also take a look at legal issues surrounding recent films such as Borat. Reading materials for the class will be emailed one week prior to the class.
Classes will be held on the following dates and times:
Thursday, November 18, 2010, 4-6:30pm*
*2.5 CLE Credits Available, 1 Professional Practice , 1 Skills and .5 Ethics (Approved for Non-Transitional and Transitional Attorneys)
Where:
VLA Auditorium, 1 East 53rd Street, NY, NY 10022
Registration Fees: (there is a late registration fee of $10 if you register the day of the class)
Full Time Student: $20 (only with valid ID)
Arts Professional VLA Member: $25
Arts Professional Non-VLA member: $35
VLA Legal Professional Member: $130
Legal Professional Non-Member: $150
This class will be taught by Elena M. Paul, Esq., VLA's Executive Director.
To register, please complete this registration form. All registration fees are non-refundable. For more information, please call Joni Todd at 212.319.2787 x10, or e-mail her at jtodd@vlany.org.
(A limited number of 50% partial hardship scholarships for arts professionals are available. Please email Kathleen Mallaney.)
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Class: Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts & Friends of the FCI Present: Starting Your Culinary Business | |
This workshop provides valuable information about starting culinary businesses, including restaurants, bakeries, bars, and catering companies. This class will cover important issues that every start-up business person needs to know, including: the selection of a business entity; incorporation; financing; branding; licensing (including liquor licenses, cabaret permits, and outdoor seating permits); taxes; and regulatory compliance. Proceeds will benefit the Friends of the French Culinary Institute (FCI).
The Friends of the FCI is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charitable corporation that raises money for scholarships and financial aid to FCI career students based on financial need and ability to complete the program they desire. The organization was founded based on the belief that money should not stand between talented, motivated, deserving students and a first-rate culinary education.
Classes will be held on the following dates and times:
Tuesday, September 7, 2010, 4:30-7pm
Tuesday, December 7, 2010, 4:30-7pm Where:
VLA, 1 East 53rd Street, NY, NY 10022 (Auditorium) Registration Fees: (there is a late registration fee of $10 if you register the day of the class)
Current FCI Student: $25
FCI Alumni: $50
Other Culinary Professionals: $100
Other: $100 This class with be taught by Elena M. Paul, Esq., VLA's Executive Director and Alexis Soterakis, Esq., Senior Associate at the law firm Coran Ober P.C.
To register, please complete this registration form. All registration fees are non-refundable. For more information, please call Joni Todd at 212.319.2787 x10, or e-mail her at jtodd@vlany.org.
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Social & Legal Issues in Fashion Series: Embodied Branding and Self-Identity
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This second workshop in a four part series examines the strategic conceptualization and creation of your personal brand, the way in which you communicate your product to consumers. Our bodies and identities, like products, are produced, presented, and marketed, as we transform ourselves into brands personified. Anna E. Akbari, Ph.D, founder of Closet Catharsis, discusses the sociological perspective of body branding via tattoos; designer logos; the consumer-demand for customization; and the rise of multi-sensory branding. Elena M. Paul, Esq., will look at the topic from a legal perspective touching on how to use the law to assist in the creation and protection of your brand.When:
Tuesday, September 21, 2010, 6:00-8:00 pm* *2.0 CLE Credits, 1 Professional Practice and 1 Skills, (Approved for Non-Transitional and Transitional Attorneys)
Where:
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, 4 TImes Square, New York, NY 10036 Registration Fees: (there is a late registration fee of $10 if you register the day of the class)
Full Time Student (Valid I.D.): $20
Arts Professional VLA Member: $25
Arts Professional Non-VLA member: $35
VLA Legal Professional Member: $130
Legal Professional Non-Member: $150
This class will be taught by VLA's Executive Director, Elena M. Paul, Esq. and Anna Akbari, Ph.D, founder of Closet Catharsis.
To register, please complete this registration form. All registration fees are non-refundable. For more information, please call Joni Todd at 212.319.2787 x10, or e-mail her at jtodd@vlany.org.
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Class: Starting Your Fashion Business
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This workshop provides valuable information about starting a
business in fashion, apparel, and design (including jewelry). This class
will cover important issues that every fashion and design entrepreneur
needs to know, including: selecting and forming a business entity; using
a business plan; financing; common issues in product development,
production, marketing, and sales; regulatory issues and business
licenses; branding, licensing, and intellectual property (copyrights,
trademarks, and design patents); and contracts.
Class will be held on the following dates and times:
Tuesday, September 28, 2010, 4-6:30pm
Where:
VLA Auditorium, 1 East 53rd Street, NY, NY 10022
Registration Fees: (there is a late registration fee of $10 if you register the day of the class)
Full Time Student (only with valid ID): $25
Arts Professional VLA Member: $75
Arts Professional Non-VLA member: $100
VLA Legal Professional Member: $125
Legal Professional Non-Member: $175
This class will be taught by Elena M. Paul, Esq., VLA's Executive Director.
To register, please complete this registration form. All registration fees are non-refundable. For more information, please call Joni Todd at 212.319.2787 x10, or e-mail her at jtodd@vlany.org.
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Film, Music, Interactive:
Legal & Business Bootcamp™
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VLA
is pleased to announce this intensive new program about the legal and business
issues that affect individual artists and individuals within arts cultural
institutions who make and work in film, music and interactive media.
Sessions will include:
Intellectual Property Contract Essentials and
Negotiation Skills For-Profit, Non-Profit,
Fiscal Sponsorship Models Considerations for
Documentary and Fact-Based Projects Basics of Using Social
Media Sites
Who Should Attend:
This
course is specifically for filmmakers, musicians, web designers, and anyone
working in interactive media. Cultural organizations, recently admitted
attorneys, and other professionals who represent artists may also benefit from
this program.
When:
October 22, 2010, 10am-5pm*
March, 2011 (date TBA)*
*7.0 CLE Credits Available,
Professional Practice (Transitional: 3 Professional, 2 Skills, 2 Ethics)
Location:
Herrick, Feinstein LLP
2 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10016
Registration Fees: There will be no
registrations taken the day of the event. You must be registered before October
22, 2010 to attend this event.
Artists and Arts
Organization Representatives
$149 Artists
and Students
$250 Arts
Organizations
Lawyers
$325 All
Lawyers
This class will be taught by:
Elena
M. Paul, Esq.
Executive
Director
Sergio
Muņoz Sarmiento, Esq.
Associate
Director
Benjamin
J. Brandow, Esq.
Assistant
Director of Legal Services
Special Guests
Brian
Taylor Goldstein, Esq.
The Arts and Entertainment Division Fettmann, Tolchin
& Majors, PC.
Peter
Rienecker, Esq.
Vice
President and Senior Counsel
Original
Programming, HBO, Inc.
Frederick N. Samuels, Esq.
Cahn & Samuels, LLP
To register, please complete this registration form. All registration fees are non-refundable. For
more information, please call Ben Brandow at 212.319.2787
x14, or e-mail her at bbrandow@vlany.org. For our
financial aid policy and application, please click here.
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Art & Law Residency Program:
Program and Application Information
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Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts solicits applications from professional visual artists and arts writers for its new Art & Law Residency Program, the first program of its kind.
Program dates: January 10, 2011 through August 30, 2011
Application deadline: November 1, 2010
Notification: December 1, 2010
Program Goal
As legal and judicial issues now permeate every aspect of social, political and cultural life, artistic production is no longer immune. The Art & Law Residency provides an intellectual and artistic setting for participants to engage in ongoing discussions and debates that examine the overlap and disconnect between artistic production and the law from historical, social, ethical and intellectual standpoints. Using law as both a discourse and medium, new visual artwork and critical writing will come into being through the Program. All the participants will also gain experience and knowledge they can carry into the future beyond the Program.
Overview
The core of the Program will be semi-monthly Seminars directed at the theoretical and critical examination of current art and law issues. Seminars will take place at the law firm of Morrison & Foerster LLP. Faculty as well as leading legal scholars and visiting artists will lead these Seminars. During the course of the Program, artists and writers will develop new projects and papers and receive support from Faculty on a regular basis to discuss and address the aesthetic, practical, philosophical, legal and judicial aspects of their work. The Residency will culminate in a public Exhibition and Symposium held at the Maccarone Gallery in New York City where the participants will exhibit their projects and present papers. For a list of Current Fellows and their Bios please click here.
Program Provides
Seminars series: Twice a month, a legal scholar, artist and/or Program Faculty will lead Seminars as well as assign related readings. Topics for lectures and group discussions will include practical, theoretical, philosophical and speculative perspectives on art, property (tangible and intangible), contract, constitutional, and international law as well as free speech.
Legal consultation and representation: Access to private consultations with attorneys and work with assigned pro bono representation for individual projects as required. Additional legal advice and guidance in the form of individual meetings to discuss general practical and theoretical questions may be arranged.
Exhibition and Symposium: The culminating Exhibition and Symposium will be held at the Maccarone Gallery, in New York City, in August 2011. Art criticism participants will present papers at an evening Symposium and visual artists will display their final work during this Exhibition. A modest stipend will be provided towards production costs and/or research materials.
Participation
Participants are required to attend semi-monthly Seminars as well as participate actively in group discussion and individual project and paper development. Participants who successfully complete the Seminar series will participate in the final Exhibition and Symposium. The semi-monthly Seminars will be held on Mondays from 6-9 pm at the law firm of Morrison & Foerster LLP. Seminars commence in January 2011.
Eligibility
Applicants must have a minimum four-year professional record. Visual artists working in all media may apply. Writers may have backgrounds in Art History, Art Theory, and Art Criticism and be strongly engaged with contemporary visual art. Artists and writers interested in issues of constitutional law, contracts, property, free speech and intellectual property are especially encouraged to apply.
To for more information on how to apply please click here.
Application inquiries via e-mail are preferred: VLAResidency@vlany.org |
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VLA Member Services |
Law Firm and Corporate Members:
VLA has developed two new opportunities for attorneys and other legal professionals, that are now available ā la carte or as part of the benefits of a Corporate/Law Firm Membership at the Patron Level.
Artist, Arts Organization, and Legal Professional Members:
VLA has also just developed an additional training opportunity for attorneys and arts professionals looking to make a career transition from legal practice to nonprofit careers.
For more information on these new programs and on becoming a law firm or corporate member, please click here. |
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VLA has seen an increase in demand for pro bono legal services, in-house consultations, legal clinics, and educational programming, and we expect 2010 to be even more demanding. Would you like to support more VLA legal services and educational programming?
In 2010, your support will make possible:
- More legal services to low-income artists
- More legal services to arts nonprofit organizations
- More educational programming
- More scholarship programs
- More outreach programming
- Maintaining lower fees for legal services and educational programming
- More discounts on legal books for artists
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Jim Hodges, What Becomes the Sky Roberto, 2009 |
What Becomes the Sky Roberto, 2009  | VLA is very pleased to announce the sale of a limited edition print by noted American artist Jim Hodges. Born in 1957 in Washington State, Hodges creates pieces using a variety of materials with the meticulous precision of collage work, sewing, assembling and cut-out. The end results are works that are both minimal and rich. A retrospective of his work was held at the Centre Pompidou in Paris late last year. His work is also included in the collections of such institutions as The Art Institute of Chicago, The Museum of Modern Art, New York and The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles.
Mr. Hodges has generously donated these unframed limited edition prints to VLA.
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About Us
Since 1969, Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts has been the leading provider of pro bono legal services and mediation, as well as educational programs, publications, and advocacy to the arts community in the New York area and beyond. As the first arts-related legal aid organization, VLA is the model for similar organizations around the world.
VLA is supported in part with public funds from the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York State Council on the Arts, a State Agency, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, and through generous gifts from law firms, corporations, foundations and individuals.
Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts
1 East 53rd Street, 6th floor
New York, New York 10022
212.319.ARTS (2787)
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Our Supporters
VLA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit legal service organization supported in part with public funds from the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York State Council on the Arts, a State Agency, and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and through generous gifts from corporations, foundations and individuals. View a full list of foundation and government supporters here; to view a full list of law firm and corporate supporters, click here. |
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VLA Success Story of the Month
In Their Own Words:
Pat Watkins
Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts and
Jason Kakoyiannis, formerly of Shearman & Sterling LLP, were instrumental
in helping me negotiate and draft the perfect agreement between myself and my
collaborators. After working together
for many years on "Reborn Again," a play with music, a decision was
made to turn the piece into a screenplay.
Figuring out how to be fair and equitable between collaborators who
worked on the play but not the screenplay was an important step in moving
forward. Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts
asked all of the right questions and made certain that all parties were treated
fairly. An agreement was reached in a
timely manner and the property was picked up by producers soon afterwards. This would not have been possible if the
producers didn't feel confident that all of the legal questions had been
covered between our artistic team.
Thank you VLA, Jason, and Shearman
& Sterling for offering professional services at a price that I could
afford and for delivering the contractual agreements needed to move this
project forward.
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| Financial Hardship Policy |
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Full and partial scholarships to attend VLA's Continuing Legal Education programs are available to persons with demonstrated financial hardship. To apply, applicants must submit a request, on letterhead if possible, stating the reason for their interest, proof of income or an explanation of their financial hardship, and a completed course registration form. Scholarships will be awarded on a space-available basis, with preference given to applicants in order of date submitted. For more information please view http://www.vlany.org/education/clecredit.php. |
| Ways to Get Involved and Training for Attorneys |
If you're an attorney and would like to get involved with VLA, please click here for more information on our legal services, CLE classes, mediation training, and new attorney orientation programming. |
| Legal Services | |
VLA's Legal Services program is the central focus of our activities and resources. The program includes a wide range of services including: the Art Law Line, a legal hotline; the VLA Legal Clinic for VLA members; in-house appointments with VLA staff attorneys; and pro bono placements for low-income artists and nonprofit arts organizations with one of over 1,200 volunteer attorneys.
If you are a practicing attorney, you may view the current cases available for pro bono placement by clicking here.
For more information on any of our programs please call or Ben Brandow at 212·319·ARTS (2787), ext.14
You may also call our Art Law Line at 212.319.2787 x1, Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. |
| Education |
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Our Department of Education offers a wide variety of discipline-specific and general educational programs, both at its office and privately on location for law firms and art, cultural and service organizations. VLA is also certified by the New York State Bar Continuing Legal Education Board as an accredited provider of Continuing Legal Education courses and programs. Accordingly, VLA provides CLE classes at its office, and privately for law firms at their offices. VLA also custom designs courses, including CLE classes, upon request.
For more information on any of our programs please call Sergio Muņoz Sarmiento at 212·319·ARTS (2787), ext.13. |
| VLA Library and Bookstore | |
VLA has a small but in-depth book library containing a wealth of materials and resources for artists, arts organizations, and legal professionals. Our books and materials cover diverse areas such as nonprofits, fiscal sponsorships, visual art, music, theater, dance, writing, film, internet, and digital media, all in relation to intellectual property, contracts, licensing, legal entities, free speech, employment law, and grant writing. Access to VLA's library is free and is open to the public Monday through Friday, 12 to 6pm.
Along with providing individuals and organizations with access to the VLA's Library, VLA makes available a wide variety of books for all arts disciplines and organizations. For a list of our publications and books available for sale, please visit our list. For book prices and shipping fees, please contact VLA at our Art Law Line at 212.319.2787, x1. |
| VLA Calendar |
Keep up with our events, classes, workshops, and legal clinics through our calendar. |
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