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At the intricate intersection of creativity and legal protection lies the discipline of art law – a fascinating and critical field whose breadth involves far more than your typical bureaucratic formalities. The dynamic legal realm champions the safeguarding artistic expression, cultural heritage, ownership and the complex rights of creators and collectors across the globe, making an indelible impression on the legal landscape as it pertains to the art world. In a deeper sense, art law speaks to our fundamental understanding of cultural value, reminding us that art is not only an economic asset, but a testament to human creativity, sentiment, and historical memory, too.

(CFAL) is an organization that stands at the forefront of this critical domain today, serving as a unique and indispensable resource in the United States. Founded in 2009 by Irina Tarsis, this Brooklyn-based nonprofit has evolved from a simple online blog about the subject to an internationally recognized institution that bridges the worlds of visual arts and legal scholarship. Through its diverse community of attorneys, artists, curators, and scholars, the Center for Art Law champions new ideas and perspectives on the topic, connecting professionals across various disciplines and borders.

From addressing the historical complexities of Nazi-era art restitution to navigating the emerging challenges of digital art and artificial intelligence, the practice of art law touches on profound questions of ownership, creativity, and cultural preservation. The Center for Art Law illuminates these nuanced landscapes, offering a wide range of educational resources that include an in-depth blog, newsletters, year-round (and worldwide) events, the largest case law database on art law topics, and so much more.  

The Center acts as a linchpin for ongoing knowledge and support for those legal professionals, scholars and art enthusiasts interested in these topics, which is why I was so excited to sit down with its founder. In the following interview, Irina Tarsis shares the organization's journey, its mission, and the critical role art law plays in protecting and celebrating artistic expression in an increasingly complex global landscape. 

View of Center for Art Law workshop. Courtesy of Center for Art Law.

ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ: How and why did you start the Center for Art Law platform? 

Irina Tarsis: Center for Art Law started as an online library for interdisciplinary information about visual art and law. We compiled databases on art and legal books, articles detailing instances of art theft and restitution, news stories about fakes and forgeries, issues affecting artists rights, and more. 

As I learned more about visual art and the laws affecting it, I began to meet people who just “fell into it.” I thought that it was wasteful and lonely for each person to compile a private library to become an art attorney. Rather, sharing these resources and meeting like-minded people makes the practice of helping artists and protecting cultural heritage more efficient, meaningful, and enjoyable.

MA: What has been the most unexpected challenge or success in running CFAL?

IT: The number of students who gravitate to the Center for its internships every semester is unexpected. It is both a serious challenge and a clear indicator that there is curiosity and talent waiting to apply itself to the field of art law. Every year, we see ever growing numbers of students in art history, fine art, museum studies and law choosing to spend their time researching and writing about art law subjects. 

Visual artists, our target audience, are less forthcoming, which might be a good thing. The Center does not offer legal services, rather we educate artists about their rights under the law, and we connect them to legal service providers. There is a pressing need for art market participants to know about laws that protect and govern their practices, and we have some artists and researchers who come to us. But these numbers are unpredictable, as artists typically do not worry about legal issues before they occur.

MA: How has CFAL evolved since its inception? Are there any particular milestones you can think of that stand out as transformative? 

From the late 2000s to the present day, we have evolved from a humble blog into an estimable global institution, quoted at conferences and consulted by legal professionals and academics from around the world. Over the last fifteen years we have seen many milestones, more prominent being the launch of our first visual artists’ clinic on immigration law. 

I would also say publishing detailed annual reports and hosting annual in-person conferences are significant as we are able to capture and celebrate so many aspects of art law practices. Finally, our interns are crucial to driving our success, and hosting the first alumni reunion was memorable. We are very proud of having worked with more than 160 interns over the years already and look forward to bringing new students to learn about this fascinating interdisciplinary area.

Center for Art Law interns at work. Courtesy of Center for Art Law

MA: What initially drew you to art law?

IT: Personally, I am fascinated by people’s motivations, tastes, and convictions behind becoming artists, collectors, and dealers by trusting their talents and their guts. Further, I was also interested in the art-legal implications of the nationalization and sale of Russian Imperial collections following the Soviet Revolution. This interest in art looting led me to research Nazi-era art looting during World War II and trophy brigades that operated during and after World War II. When I learned about the scale of looting from Jewish families and museums during the Nazi rule, this was the turning point for me to focus on art law.

MA: Is there a specific case that solidified your commitment to the field? 

IT: In my law school application, I wrote that I wanted to be involved in a case like the , which lasted more than twelve years. For me, the case epitomized how history, art history, law and relationships between people could play out across time and space. Ultimately, while I was in law school, the case settled out of court, and the painting was sent back to a museum in Vienna which lent it for temporary display in New York. The previously looted painting now appears near a long wall label telling the story of the painting’s provenance; its ownership by Lea Bondy, a Jewish-Austrian art dealer and collector; and how she came to be disposed of it due the Nazi persecution.

MA: How do you think art law (and maybe the growing awareness around it) influences the contemporary art world today? What about the museum experience? 

IT: In my experience, which is of course limited, a growing public awareness of art law primarily encourages art makers and art consumers to think about copyrights as well as how to protect other various rights – which, at times, can be competing or mutually beneficial. The use of contracts in spelling out the duties of artists, their gallerists, museums, dealers, and other art professionals has now become more the norm rather than exception. 

As far as the museum experiences are concerned, matters of art laws, clear provenance when contemplating gifts and potential copyright claims associated with appropriation art are just a few of big issues that keep the general counsel and attorney working with museums as outside counsel on their toes.

MA: I know your Center doesn’t provide legal counsel, but how do you see CFAL playing a role in resolving disputes or fostering a better understanding between artists and galleries, or collectors?  

IT: While the Center does not provide legal services, we offer many different tools including references to cases, conversations between artists, collectors, dealers, and attorneys to flush out the questions and concerns and encourage responsible business practices.

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