April 19, 2011

April 26: Legal Issues in Contemporary Art: Copyright

Tuesday, April 26, 2011, 6:30-8:30pm
Legal Issues in Contemporary Art: Copyright
With the recent increase in copyright issues and lawsuits, visual and performing artists need to be aware of the copyright laws and the legal issues that may affect their practices and the presentation of their artwork.  This workshop will focus on copyright law, with a primer on some of the more pressing legal concerns for artists today, such as digital media, the use of appropriated logos and images, fair use, as well as moral rights.  This workshop will give an overview of a few cases that clearly illustrate the recent explosion of copyright lawsuits: Associated Press v. Shepard Fairey; Patrick Carious v. Richard Prince; Gaylord v. United States.  The workshop will also discuss the legal issues related to blogs, websites, and website aggregators.

Presenter: Sergio Muñoz Sarmiento, Esq., VLA's Associate Director
Sergio Muñoz Sarmiento is currently the Associate Director for Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts in NYC and an artist who practices art law.  He is interested in the relationship between contemporary art and law, with a focus on copyright, free speech deaccessioning, and nonprofit organizations.  He is also an Adjunct Professor of Art & Law at NYU's Department of Art and Public Policy, Adjunct Instructor of Clinical Law at Brooklyn Law School, and a mentor with the Kennedy Center's Art in Crisis program.  He is currently the Program Director and faculty of VLA's Art & Law Residency Program.  Sarmiento has taught critical theory and studio art in a number of universities and art schools, and has presented talks and participated in panels and symposiums at a number of institutions.  His art projects have been shown in international exhibitions, including Mexico, Germany, and Spain, and nationally in Dallas, NYC, and LA.

Location:
The Malcolm X & Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Educational Center, 3940 Broadway (between 165th and 166th Sts.), NYC 

Free and open to the public, RSVP: info@nomaanyc.org (subject: Legal Issues in Contemporary Arts) 
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