For many people, the worlds of art and law may appear to have nothing in common. However, there is an often-overlooked connection between these two fields, said Christy Cox, a planner for this weekend’s art and law symposium, called “Outside the Lines: Community, Creativity, and the Law.”
It is because the connection is so often overlooked that Cox and others created Outside the Lines, a two-day event designed to educate students and community members about the importance of artists understanding the legal issues, such as copyright laws and contracts, surrounding their work. The symposium is a collaborative effort on the part of student organizations and the community, said Sarah Bailen, a symposium planner and representative from the Art and Administration Student Forum.
Cox said the goal of the symposium is for students to walk away with an idea of what their rights and responsibilities are.
The symposium, which is new this year, starts today at 6 p.m. with ArtWalk, a free walking tour of public art at the University School of Law. Several local artists will answer questions and discuss the pieces. After the walk, the Law School class of 2002 will sell selected pieces of art, the proceeds from which will go to the Wayne T. Westling Memorial Fund, said DeAnna Horne, a representative of the Class of ’02.
Saturday’s events begin at 9 a.m. with a presentation on the state of the arts and continue with a keynote lecture by Juana Alicia and Brooke Oliver at 9:30 a.m. Alicia is a San Francisco Bay area mural artist and activist, and Oliver is an arts lawyer. In the lecture, called “Public Spaces and Cases: Creating and Defending Murals in California’s Bay Area,” the speakers will explore the connection between community murals and the law.
Two sets of workshops and a panel discussion will follow the lecture. The workshops will address contracts and the concept of intellectual property and copyrights for visual and performing artists, as well as for writers.
Cox said the symposium is a “place to start a dialogue about copyrighting (of artistic material).” She said not all artists are aware of how copyright law works for or against them.
Carol Cricow, a Eugene attorney and author who is leading the writers’ workshops, said she hopes writers will get the information about contracts so they can make wise decisions.
“In order to get published, writers are going to have to sign a contract,” she said. “Writers can’t sell their work at Saturday Market.”
The panel discussion, “Whose Domain: Creativity and the Internet,” will address artists’ rights and the Internet.
Tomorrow’s events begin at 9 a.m. and take place at the law school. Students can attend the symposium for free, but the charge is $10 for artists and arts administrators and $25 for the general public. More information and registration forms are available at http://www.uoregon.edu/~artlaw. Registration will be available at the symposium.