Legal Guide for the Visual Artist [Paperback]

Tad Crawford (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1999 | ISBN-10: 1581150032 | ISBN-13: 978-1581150032 | Edition: 4th

This highly acclaimed reference book presents a comprehensive overview of the legal issues faced by anyone working in the visual arts. The narrative text is arranged into twenty-four chapters covering: copyright, contracts, censorship, moral rights, sales (by artist, gallery, or agent), taxation, estate planning, museums, collecting, and grants.



The book suggests basic strategies, gives information to help with further action, and contains many sample legal forms and contracts. This edition is a complete revision, providing not only updated legal information, but also covering the ever-increasing importance of new media and electronic rights.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Legal Guide for the Visual Artist is essential for both the beginning artist and the seasoned art professional. It demystifies the legal issues all artists must understand to survive in the business of art. I recommend it to all artists, and use it as a text in legal classes for artists -- Timothy S. Kelley, Director of Legal Services, Lawyers for the Creative Arts

I've been in business for forty years and the book enlightened me in ways I didn't even know I was stupid. It's an incredibly well-done book. Just buy the book, don't ask questions. Just buy it. If you don't like it, I'll give you your money back -- Jay Maisel, photographer

It might not be convenient to hold this book in one hand while drawing or painting with the other. On the other hand, to do so is an excellent idea -- Arnold Roth, cartoonist

Keep this book within reach at all times. It's not only essential for an artist's self- preservation, but also a fascinating read -- Paul Davis, graphic designer and painter

Legal Guide for the Visual Artist is written in very clear language which helps to take a lot of the uncertainty and worry out of understanding business and legal issues and allows me to focus on the business of making art -- George Koch, President, National Artists Equity Association

Tad Crawford's readable guide is filled with practical legal advice for visual artists, as well as insightful discussions of ethical issues. Immediately useful are the sample agreements and forms, explained in the context of common business practices in the art world and the environment of numerous state and federal laws -- Alma Robinson, Executive Director, California Lawyers for the Arts

The challenge for any designer or artist is to learn enough about his or her rights to challenge unwarranted incursions early and call in reinforcements when necessary. This Legal Guide is the first line of defense for every designer after, of course, Allworth's stunningly focused AIGA Professional Practices in Graphic Design -- Richard Gref, Executive Director, American Institute of Graphic Arts

This fourth edition of the Legal Guide includes the cutting-edge issues in the new technologies and new media that will shape the futures of all graphic artists. This book should be on every professional artist's must-buy list, right beside the Guild's Pricing and Ethical Guidelines -- Paul Basista, Executive Director, Graphic Artists Guild

About the Author

Tad Crawford, President and Publisher for Allworth Press in New York City, which he founded in 1989, studied economics at Tufts University, graduated from Columbia Law School, clerked on New York State’s highest court, and represented many artists and arts organizations when he actively practiced as an attorney. He has authored more than a dozen books on business, including The Secret Life of Money: How Money Can Be Food for the Soul. The legal affairs editor for Communication Arts Magazine, he has written articles for magazines such as Art in America, Glamour, Harper's Bazaar, Lapis, The Nation, New Age Journal, and Self. He has also appeared as a guest on television programs such as Fox on Money; The O’Reilly Report; Good Day, Wake Up; and It’s Only Money as well as numerous radio shows including New York & Company. He lives in New York City.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Allworth Press; 4th edition (January 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1581150032
• ISBN-13: 978-1581150032
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #417,212 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Allworth Press publisher and founder Tad Crawford is an author, attorney, and artists' rights advocate.

Born in New York City, Crawford grew up in the artists colony of Woodstock, New York. Interested in writing both fiction and nonfiction, he majored in economics at Tufts College and graduated from Columbia Law School in February 1971. ("That explains the unusual amalgam of my activities," Crawford says. "A lot of legal skills are crucial for helping the artist and for running a publishing company. Of course, writing is an excellent background for publishing. So it's come together very well.")

Crawford clerked for a judge of the New York Court of Appeals, the state's highest court, then went to work for a small general law firm in New York City while writing and teaching writing and literature at the School of Visual Arts. Until he took the teaching assignment at the School of Visual Arts and learned of the need for materials to help artists understand their rights, he had not envisioned being an advocate of artists' rights.

"I found nothing in print to help artists deal with such legal matters as copyrights, contracts, income taxes, the 'hobby loss' problem, estate planning, or even how to get grants," recalls Crawford. And so, responding to what he saw as "an extreme need," he wrote a book dealing with those and other relevant issues, titling it Legal Guide for the Visual Artist and using it as a text for the "Law and the Visual Artist" course that he taught at the School of Visual Arts. Published in 1977, Legal Guide for the Visual Artist is now in its fourth edition and has one hundred thousand copies in print.

He followed this with The Writer's Legal Guide in 1978 (which has been updated and reissued with The Authors Guild as co-publisher and Kay Murray, the General Counsel for the Authors Guild, as co-author). With Arie Kopelman he wrote Selling Your Photography in 1980 and Selling Your Graphic Design and Illustration in 1981. At the same time Crawford served as Chairman of the Board for the Foundation for the Community of Artists, legislative counsel for the Copyright Justice Coalition (which had many arts groups as members), and general counsel for the Graphic Artists Guild. In 1982 Crawford was asked to help publish books for some of the organizations that he had represented as an attorney. In response, he became publisher of Madison Square Press, which issued annuals for such artists'organizations as the Society of Illustrators, the Society of Publication Designers, the Art Directors Club of New York, and the Art Directors Club of Los Angeles.

In 1988 he decided to strike out in a new direction, "to create a press that would offer the kind of information that was more like what I had taught, written about, and lobbied for." Crawford saw the need for a publishing company that would provide practical information to creative professionals, such as artists, photographers, designers, and authors. He knew first hand the issues faced every day by such creative people and could envision a spectrum of books to help them survive and prosper professionally.

In the Fall of 1989, Crawford published Allworth Press's first book, a revised edition of his classic Legal Guide for the Visual Artist. Ten more titles followed in 1990, offering information about marketing, promotion, pricing, copyright, contracts, health and safety, and much more. The first edition of Business and Legal Forms for Photographers was published in 1991. "The information in these books,"Crawford says, "can make all the difference in terms of success and prosperity." Today Allworth Press has a backlist of more than 250 books, publishes 12-15 books annually, and employs a staff of six very talented people.

Crawford's last involvement as an active lobbyist was in 1986, and he's given up active practice of the law to devote his energies to his publishing and his writing. The full list of books that he has authored follows:

AIGA Professional Practices in Graphic Design (editor)
The Artist-Gallery Partnership (with Susan Mellon)
Business and Legal Forms for Crafts
Business and Legal Forms for Fine Artists
Business and Legal Forms for Graphic Designers (with Eva Doman Bruck)
Business and Legal Forms for Illustrators
Business and Legal Forms for Interior Designers (with Eva Doman Bruck)
Business and Legal Forms for Industrial Designers (with Eva Doman Bruck and Carl W. Battle)
Business and Legal Forms for Photographers
Legal Guide for the Visual Artist
The Money Mentor
The Secret Life of Money
Selling Your Photography (with Arie Kopelman)
Selling Your Graphic Design and Illustration (with Arie Kopelman)
Starting Your Career as a Freelance Photographer
The Writer's Legal Guide (with Kay Murray)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Best/Clearest Guide, Best and All-Inclusive Forms, November 9, 2000

By 

Linda E. Ryan (Bay Area, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Legal Guide for the Visual Artist (Paperback)

I've bought several books on this issue and am most impressed by the quality of the information here -- it's presented clearly and fully, and includes the best forms I've seen available outside of the legal field. As I'm an ex-paralegal, I find the language of the contracts undertstandable; many of my artist friends seem to think that they are still too filled with legalese, but that's contract law and sometimes necessary. That's the only reason this book gets a 4-star and not a 5-star rating.

I'm buying my own copy since I basically trashed the studio's copy -- it's helpful enough that you'll use it on an ongoing basis.

42 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If not this book, what else?, January 24, 2002

By 

The Artist "The Artist" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Legal Guide for the Visual Artist (Paperback)

As the title of the book stated, "Legal guide for the VISUAL ARTIST", the book covers information that is aimed at VISUAL artists, including photographers, painters, printmakers, designers, sculptors, illustrators, textile designers, cartoonists, and craftspeople. Wow!

Wow, all right. That may be the reason some artists may have found the book full of legalese. In my humble opinion, this is a must-have for anyone that claims oneself to be one of the ones listed above. If not this book, what else?

Starting from the minute one decides to have some "interaction" with other human beings regarding the making (or selling) of one's art, this book is of big help. For instance, an artist may decide to hire a model to paint a picture, this book will guide him/her how to prepare a model release form in order to guarantee the artist benefits of the painting created, without problems such as violation of privacy in the long run. This book is also a critical line of defense for the artists in dealing with copyrights, ownership, insurance, and tax income, etc.

My guess is that if one is simply an artist, one would read through the book (or at least sections of immediate concern, for instance, a painter would not have to worry too much about sections for photographers) and scan through the whole book for information. As far as using the book on a regular basis, I believe by frequently reviewing relevant sections, as well as making use of sample forms provided in the book, any visual artist will find this book an indispensable tool for his/her art making/selling process.

Strongly recommended.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Reference Guide, November 22, 2004

By 

a reader (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Legal Guide for the Visual Artist (Paperback)

Even if you have the luxury of an attorney that speicalizes in art contracts, as I do, this is a great book of forms to keep handy for quick reference. My advice is to get it with his other book: Business & Legal Forms for Fine Artists also by Tad Crawford