by Sue Greenberg, Executive Director It all began in 1981 with Zia Gipson, who worked for the City’s Arts & Humanities Commission (which later became the Regional Arts Commission). Zia knew our arts community needed access to pro bono legal services. So she asked Saint Louis University School of Law’s dean to help her establish our service organization. Zia, Marvin…
St. Louis Volunteer Lawyers and Accountants for the Arts (VLAA) has awarded a $500 grant to Katarra Parson. She was among the artists who attended VLAA’s Get Ready webinar on October 14, when Carrie Cleveland, director of education and outreach at CERF+ (Craft Emergency Relief Fund), discussed documentation and safe storage, business insurance, and other natural disaster readiness topics. “The…
by Sue Greenberg, VLAA Executive Director Although many of us prefer to conduct business on a handshake, vague verbal agreements can result in ugly misunderstandings. Putting the agreement in writing clarifies the obligations, encourages the parties to take their promises seriously, guards against forgetfulness and provides reasonable assurance that the contract will be enforceable in court. Getting advice from a…
By Sue Greenberg, Executive Director The art world has changed for the better since 1997, when Tad Crawford published the first edition of Legal Guide for the Visual Artist. Legal protections have expanded, and technology has changed the way art can be created and disseminated. So, it is a pleasure to recommend the updated sixth edition of Crawford’s guide —…
By Sue Greenberg, VLAA Executive Director As outlined in most by-laws, the treasurer is the organization’s principal financial officer. The treasurer’s duties may include: making regular financial reports to the board; overseeing the preparation of the annual budget and monitoring its implementation; chairing the finance committee; ensuring that all federal, state and local financial reports are filed on a timely…
On September 22, the Kranzberg Arts Foundation’s weekly High Noon at the High Low lecture series highlighted Banned Books Week with Maxi Glamour and Mark Sableman. Glamour, who has participated in several public library drag queen story hour events, began the program by reading What Riley Wore by Elena K. Arnold, a sweet and timely picture book. Then Mark Sableman,…
By Kallee M. Hooley University of Iowa College of Iowa Juris Doctor Candidate, 2024 As of 2021, there were 9,118 craft breweries located throughout the country — a number that has nearly doubled since 2015. With this rapid growth, it has become increasingly difficult for breweries to create unique names for their brands. Brewers must tread carefully to not infringe…
By Monica Thompson Saint Louis University School of Law Juris Doctorate Candidate, 2024 The Ehud Yonay family is suing Paramount Pictures in California federal court for copyright infringement by the creation of Top Gun: Maverick. This sequel to the 1986 smash movie hit Top Gun has been breaking box office records but may end up owing big money to the…
Not long ago, we heard from yet another small nonprofit art organization that lost its tax-exempt status. Why? No one remembered to file the organization’s IRS 990-N. Also known as the e-Postcard, the form is used by tax-exempt organizations whose annual gross receipts are normally $50,000 or less. The form is very easy to complete and does not require an…
By Sarah Horstmanshof Saint Louis University School of Law Juris Doctor Candidate, 2023 After a three-year battle with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), The Ohio State University has officially succeeded in securing a trademark registration for the word “THE”. The trademark registration itself protects specifically Ohio State’s athletic wear, such as t-shirts, baseball caps and other items…