The Problem

With the rise of artist-endowed foundations to satisfy the fiscally able, a monetary rift has revealed a national crisis within the visual arts. Those artists who are under-known or less financially endowed yet made significant contributions to the visual historical-cultural continuum are left without a tangible method to address their artistic legacy in a meaningful way.

Most often the task of archiving and care taking of artists’ legacies is left to ill-equipped family members with devastating results. Some artists assume their gallery representatives will handle matters, but this is riddled with misconceptions. Museum bequests often come with financial and longterm maintenance agreements. Dumpsters are the prevailing alternative. Without the guidance of adequate cataloging and financial planning, most artworks left posthumously by under-known artists will be dropped from the historical record leaving a biased history to represent the field.