Legacy Stewardship Through Inclusive Preservation

Advocates for formalized structures and increased philanthropic investment in the long-term care of artists’ legacies, promoting ethical and sustainable models for artist estate management.

Supports a network of over 400 members—including estates, foundations, and individual artists—through the Artist’s Foundation & Estate Leaders’ List (AFELL), which it launched and now manages to ensure organizational growth and sustainability. Facilitates knowledge sharing via quarterly Zoom sessions hosted by members.

Is certified by W.A.G.E. (Working Artists and the Greater Economy) for meeting standards of ethical payment practices in its operations, reflecting a commitment to fair compensation in the arts.

Runs a two-year residency program that supports under-resourced artist estates through research, archiving, digitization, exhibitions, and public programming, including two four- to six-week exhibitions per resident: a group show with contemporary artists and a solo show. The program includes residents such as Susan Brockman, Cat Gardère, and the upcoming residency for the Sheyla Baykal archive (2025–2027), and operates within shared workspace and active storage facilities.

Curates and presents solo and group exhibitions featuring the work and archives of underrecognized historical artists, including Sheyla Baykal (multiple exhibitions highlighting her photographs and queer community), Paul Gardère (solo exhibition and art fair booth at Independent 20th Century), and Susan Brockman. Also organizes public programs such as panel discussions on portraiture, community, and memory, particularly around artists like Shirley Gorelick.

Offers professional archival services including cataloging, storage, digitization, and exhibition planning to external artist estates and foundations such as the Stan VanDerBeek Archive, Rosemary Mayer Estate, and Shirley Gorelick Foundation on a fee-for-service basis.

Produces publications that document and contextualize artists’ archives, including a 112-page book on Susan Brockman’s archive combining scholarly and personal contributions, and supports the dissemination of archival materials through printed and digital formats.

Provides guidance and resources to artists and their heirs to help preserve and secure the future of artistic work, including through legacy planning and archival infrastructure.

Provides support for programs focused on the preservation, restoration, exhibition, and education of decorative arts, including interior design, furniture, textiles, fashion, graphic arts, decorative painting, art glass, jewelry, and porcelain.

Fosters public and civic interest in works of art, including monuments and structures of artistic, historic, cultural, or sentimental significance in New York City, and advocates for their acquisition, protection, and preservation by the city.

Conducts research and collects information on works of art in New York City, including their history, artistic merit, and cultural significance, and disseminates findings to promote understanding and preservation.

Fosters an interdisciplinary community of practice by engaging leaders from major artist foundations (e.g., Nancy Graves, Peter Hujar), estate executors, and cultural institutions in advisory and governance roles to strengthen field-wide legacy preservation capacity.

Performs in-depth analysis of legal and accounting requirements for artist estates, reviews templates used by existing foundations and trusts, and studies the long-term sustainability of multi-artist legacy sites to inform best practices and implementation strategies.

Hosts artist round-tables, classes, and panel discussions to educate artists and professionals on legacy preservation practices, including data collection, cataloging, conservation, provenance, and documentation. Programming is offered at CPAL’s physical facility and through public events.

Designs and implements scalable, shared legacy platforms using an economy of scale model to support the preservation and management of multiple artists’ works and archives, informed by conference data and field research.

Operates a 10,000 sq. ft. facility at 50 West Street in Lower Manhattan, secured under an 11-year lease starting in spring 2025, serving as a national center for legacy preservation with intake protocols, educational programming, and community engagement.

Organizes and hosts multi-day annual conferences focused on the representation, preservation, and sustainability of artists' legacies, featuring panel discussions, keynote addresses, and educational content. The 2024 and 2025 conferences were held over three days each, with full transcripts and recordings published and sold as resources.

Offers free 30-minute online consultations and in-depth legacy assessments—including studio evaluations, interviews, and multi-day research—resulting in detailed 4–6 page guidance reports with recommendations and expert referrals. Services support individual artists and estates in preserving and managing artistic legacies.