法律事件
Spotlighting Organizations That Support the Legal Needs of Artists
2024年5月10日
十年前, Anacostia-based light artist Craig Kraft was involved in a dispute with a photographer he hired to
take pictures of graffiti inside the Ground Zero Blues Club in Clarksdale, Mississippi.
When Kraft later produced neon artworks that incorporated the photos, the photographer accused Kraft of plagiarism and made defamatory statements about him. Kraft sought assistance from Washington Area Lawyers for the Arts (WALA), which connected him with a volunteer attorney who was successful in settling the matter in court.
“There are times when you do feel that the legal system is beyond your reach,” Kraft said. “To have that seed planted, that there was a lawyer organization for the arts, was unbelievable. 就像一线希望.”
Kraft was featured in a video shown at an event cohosted by the D.C. 酒吧 Intellectual Property Law Community and Arts, 娱乐, 媒体, 和体育法学会将于4月26日举行. 两族成员, 法律专业学生, WALA代表, and local artists mingled over refreshments and made buttons at an arts and crafts station while a DJ played a lively set.
在向人群发表讲话时，奥巴马总统说.C. 酒吧 社区 Director Pamela Robinson pointed out the wide variety of 社区 dedicated to numerous practice areas and special interests, while representatives from the co-hosting 社区 gave a brief overview of some of their ongoing activities, spotlighting events that were relevant to the overlapping interests of the two groups.
WALA执行董事John Good (pictured above) then shared a presentation on the organization’s efforts to assist artists in the District of Columbia, 马里兰, 和维吉尼亚州. WALA is a nonprofit organization established in 1983 by a group of attorneys and artists interested in serving the legal needs of the D.C. 地区艺术界.
“我们的使命是提供受教育的机会, 宣传, 法律服务,说得好, noting that the organization offers a variety of workshops and seminars addressing legal issues commonly confronted by artists and arts organizations, as well as legal clinics and full representation. The organization represents artists in more than 100 matters annually, on average, Good said.
Good gave a pitch for volunteering for WALA or supporting the organization financially through donations. “Volunteers are the heart and soul of WALA,说得好. “他们是我们最大的资产, 但你必须看看指数增长, and an investment in WALA is an investment in our community, 我们的创造力, 我们的文化.”
The organization’s workshops and training sessions cover topics such as intellectual property rights, 税法, 合并, 拨款及发牌, 谈判技巧, 以及与生成式人工智能相关的版权. “People get a lot out of those workshops,说得好. “They then know how to move ahead and monetize their work so they can continue to create.”
WALA还拥有艺术收藏, currently on display at the University of the District of Columbia David A. 克拉克法学院. 集合, composed of works donated to the organization by former clients, is rotated for display among the area law schools and will next move to American University.
与会者还听取了杰米·爱泼斯坦(Jayme Epstein)的讲话, volunteer coordinator for Justice Arts Coalition, a program supporting incarcerated artists and writers. The organization maintains contact with more than 700 incarcerated individuals, gathering and displaying their work online and in public exhibitions.
“All of this is with the mission of weaving connections between the prison walls and the outside,爱泼斯坦说, stressing the importance of artists having a platform for the enjoyment of their work, and its potential to erode stereotypical notions regarding the incarcerated.
Volunteers write letters in response to artwork received by the organization. “We could [sometimes] use some legal help for those artists,爱泼斯坦说. Additional information is available at the organization’s website, thejusticeartscoalition.org.
