Two prominent figures in the art world have highlighted the urgent importance of estate planning for artists, sharing insights from their extensive experience managing artistic legacies and supporting living artists in preparing for the future. Solana Chehtman, director of artist programs at the Joan Mitchell Foundation, and Chris Sharp, owner of an eponymous Los Angeles gallery, discussed the challenges and opportunities surrounding artist estates during a comprehensive interview.

Chehtman oversees programs at the Joan Mitchell Foundation that focus specifically on artist legacies, continuing Mitchell's vision established before her death in 1992. The foundation supports other artists through grants, fellowships, and educational programs designed to help artists think strategically about their futures both during their lifetimes and after death. Prior to her current role, Chehtman served as director of creative practice and social impact at The Shed in New York.

Sharp opened his Los Angeles gallery in 2021 and co-represents the estate of Lin May Saeed, a sculptor who died in 2023 at age 50, alongside Jacky Strenz in Frankfurt, Germany. He had been showing Saeed's work since 2017 and continues working to maintain her international legacy despite varying levels of familiarity with her art across different regions. Sharp also manages the estate of painter Deborah Hanson Murphy, who died in her 80s in 2018. Before establishing his LA venture, Sharp operated the Mexico City gallery Lulu from 2013 to 2023.

The Joan Mitchell Foundation's approach extends far beyond preserving Mitchell's own legacy. As Chehtman explained, Mitchell specifically outlined in her will that working with other artists should be a central mission. The foundation operates two main divisions: one focused on preserving Mitchell's legacy and another dedicated to programming for contemporary artists. For many years, they provided $25,000 grants to 25 artists annually, but in 2001 shifted to offering five-year fellowships that include unrestricted funding, community building, and comprehensive support.

The foundation's Creating a Living Legacy (CALL) program, launched in 2007, emerged from direct artist feedback. One artist board member raised concerns about what would happen to their work and how to prevent it from ending up discarded after their death. This program addresses the practical reality that many artists, galleries, and families don't know where to begin when an artist passes away.

Sharp's experience with Saeed's estate illustrates both the challenges and opportunities in estate management. He developed a relationship with Saeed after organizing an exhibition in 2017 at his Mexico City space. When Sharp opened his Los Angeles gallery in 2021, he invited Saeed to join his program, but she was soon diagnosed with brain cancer. The two years between her diagnosis and death in 2023 allowed for extensive estate planning, which Sharp describes as both a blessing and a curse.

During those two years, Saeed and Strenz were able to make important decisions about her legacy, including creating editions and having Saeed approve them before her death. This wasn't primarily about generating income, Sharp noted, but rather about making her work more accessible and creating opportunities for greater visibility. Since Saeed worked slowly and didn't produce large quantities of work, these editions became crucial for expanding access to her art.

The international nature of Saeed's career presents unique challenges for Sharp as her US representative. While she has significant visibility in Europe and is included in important collections in Italy, France, and Germany, she remains relatively unknown in the United States. Sharp has been working to change this through strategic exhibitions, including a recent solo presentation at Post-Fair in Los Angeles that led to a solo show at Anton Kern Gallery in New York.

Estate planning proved to be entirely new territory for Sharp, requiring him to learn quickly and seek guidance from experienced colleagues. He reached out to Wendy Olsoff from PPOW gallery in New York, who manages several important estates including that of Martin Wong. Her advice started with basics like creating an Instagram account for the deceased artist, highlighting how estate management begins with seemingly simple but crucial steps in maintaining visibility and communication.

The Joan Mitchell Foundation's CALL program has evolved significantly since its inception. Initially, they provided grants and convened artists to learn from each other, but realized many artists didn't know where to begin with legacy planning. The foundation began training "legacy specialists" - typically younger artists with strong technological skills - who work directly with older artists on inventory and documentation processes.

Early participants included established artists like Jaune Quick-to-See Smith and Mel Chin, with Smith later reflecting that her career survey at the Whitney Museum was significantly enhanced by the legacy work she had completed. The process of looking back proved unexpectedly generative for her ongoing career. Based on these experiences, the foundation developed free, accessible workbooks available on their website.

However, access to information alone proved insufficient. The foundation's latest approach emphasizes that while artists need agency in planning their legacies, they cannot bear this responsibility alone. As Chehtman explained, the foundation now serves as a bridge, working to increase institutional awareness of legacy planning's importance, especially given current concerns about cultural erasure and the expanding art world.

The foundation recognizes they cannot work with every artist who needs support, describing an "ocean of need" for this type of assistance. Their current strategy focuses on convincing other foundations and grantmakers to support legacy work while partnering with collecting institutions, non-collecting institutions, residencies, and universities to provide artists with necessary information and resources.

Sharp's work with Saeed's estate reveals regional differences in how art is discussed and valued. In America, he notes, conversations about art often begin with identity, which can complicate how Saeed's work is received. While she was an animal activist, Sharp emphasizes that her art addresses universal issues like animal rights and interspecies dignity rather than being defined primarily by her activist identity. He believes Saeed was one of the most important sculptors of her generation and is committed to creating greater visibility and discussion around her work in the US.

The commercial aspects of managing an estate require careful consideration, particularly regarding pricing and market sustainability. Sharp explains that Saeed's Styrofoam works - her primary medium, chosen for both formal and ideological reasons despite collectors' general aversion to the material - are primarily earmarked for institutions at prices that reflect their scarcity. Bronze works she created toward the end of her life for outdoor commissions are produced in editions and can be sold privately. This distinction helps ensure the estate's sustainability while respecting the artist's material choices and intentions.

Interestingly, Saeed's visibility and market success have increased significantly since her death, with stronger sales and greater institutional interest than during her lifetime. While Sharp acknowledges some cynicism about this phenomenon, he notes that in Saeed's case, the increased attention remains focused on institutional placement rather than speculation or secondary market dealing.

Sharp recently began working with the estate of Deborah Hanson Murphy, presenting entirely different challenges. Murphy rarely exhibited during her lifetime but maintained serious dedication to her work, developing systematic approaches to her artistic practice. Her work comes from a different era and requires reintroduction - or in many cases, initial introduction - to audiences. Sharp plans to exhibit her work at his gallery next spring, recognizing that this project will require starting completely from scratch and likely consulting the Joan Mitchell Foundation's resources.

The foundation's guidance begins with fundamental steps that can benefit artists at any career stage. Oral histories represent one of the most important initial actions, capturing not just information but the artist's voice and their desired narrative. Documentation and inventory of artwork, creation of location maps for finding works, and proper storage considering climate change risks are all crucial early steps.

Legal planning, including will preparation to designate who will care for the work, presents both practical and emotional challenges. Artists must consider who they trust and who is willing to accept the significant responsibility of managing their legacy. Not all family members want this role, even when they are the obvious choice. Artists must also make difficult decisions about what work to preserve, as storage capacity limitations make comprehensive preservation impossible for most estates.

Archival materials present their own challenges and opportunities. Artists must decide whether to donate, sell, or otherwise place their papers and documentation. However, even donations can be complicated, as institutions may lack funding to properly care for materials long-term. Sharp has begun considering these issues for his gallery's own small archive, recognizing the importance of maintaining both digital and physical documentation.

The foundation's 2024 conference "Creating Future Memory" brought together 150 attendees, with more than 60 percent from outside New York. This geographic diversity was intentional, reflecting the regional nature of art conversations and the importance of supporting local artists rather than focusing repeatedly on the same nationally recognized figures. The conference revealed that legacy work has been approached differently by various communities, with Indigenous artists particularly emphasizing practices that go beyond Euro-centric technical approaches.

Key outcomes from the conference included recognition that many people felt isolated in this work and benefited greatly from connecting with others facing similar challenges. Groups formed among children of artists who are now collaborating on shared challenges. The conference emphasized the ecosystem's collective responsibility to preserve stories and documentation from older generations, particularly artists of color who often served as both artists and activists.

Funding remains one of the most significant challenges in legacy work. The foundation encourages younger artists to set aside money for legacy planning alongside retirement savings, with some fellows purchasing property specifically for artwork storage. However, self-funding proves difficult, especially for artists without commercial success, making collaboration with organizations essential.

The changing landscape of arts funding adds urgency to these discussions. When Chehtman joined the foundation in 2022, she was surprised to discover how few organizations were addressing legacy planning systematically. While individual curators and archivists work to "hack the system," institutional buy-in remains limited. The foundation's advisory council and conference represent efforts to build broader support and awareness.

Looking forward, both Chehtman and Sharp emphasize the urgency of addressing legacy planning more systematically. As Chehtman noted, the art world risks losing generations of artist stories, particularly from artists in their 80s who were often cultural organizers and activists in addition to being artists. The narrative preservation aspect may be as important as the artwork itself, requiring immediate action while these voices and stories remain accessible.