This subject is not as unusual as you might think and a subject to which I dedicate at least one class period in my professional practices class for graduating senior studio majors at the University of Arkansas, Fort Smith. The first thing that I instruct my seniors to do when making a Last Will and Testament is to write an addendum appointing an "art executor" with final definitive authority in regard to an artist's portfolio, someone knowledgable in the field. This way, well meaning but naive relatives who will otherwise inherit an artist's estate, will not be saddled with the disosition of the contents of an artist's studio. Also, much of what is written on this subject instructs artists to maintain an inventory of work, something few of us are able to keep up.
Your clients may find the following articles from "The New York Times" helpful.
"The Opulence of Restraint: Robert De Niro, Sr." by Jennifer Samet, Hyperallergic,July 5, 2014. http://hyperallergic.com/135653/the-opulence-of-restraint-robert-de-niro-sr/.
"Abstract Painter's Afterlife, Reborn: Raymond Spillenger of the New York School Gets Noticed" by Charles McGrath, The New York Times, June 5, 2014, Also in print, June 8, 2014, p. AR1 under title "Abstract Painter's Afterlife, Reborn". http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/08/arts-design/raymond-spillenger-of-the-new-york-school-gets-notices.html?_r=0.
The Weighty Responsibility of Inheriting a Collection" by Paul Sullivan, The New York Times, Sept.19, 2014. www.nytimes.com/2014/09/20/your-money-the-weighty-responsiblity-of-inheriting-a-collection.html?action=.
Finally, there are websites intended to service artists' estates, POBA.org being one and I think there is at least one exclusively for artists who died of AIDS. I just do not know of their success rates promoting deceased artists.
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Charles Steiner
Adjunct Faculty, Studio Art
Univ. of Arkansas, Fort Smith AR
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Original Message:
Sent: 01-29-2015 12:40 PM
From: David Sokol
Subject: estate agent
Dear Colleagues:
I am working with the estate of an artist who has had some exposure both
in Europe and the US, both in regard to sales and exhibitions.
The owners have the idea of hiring someone to try to develop serious
dealer representation, an idea that I find a bit unusual. I thought to
contact you professionals who might have ever encountered that concept and
would love to hear your thoughts or suggestions about how it could/should
work.
Thanking you all in advance.
David S.
David M. Sokol, Professor Emeritus
School of Art and Art History [M/C 201]
University of Illinois at Chicago
929 W. Harrison Street
Chicago, Illinois 60607
Phone: 708 8481731
dmsokol@uic.edu