This seminar covers legal and ethical issues concerning the visual arts. The seminar brings together many disparate areas of U.S. and international law.

International Law: We will discuss global issues related to plunder, reparations and destructions of works of art; as well as questions of cultural heritage, such as collective ownership of artifacts by nation-states, indigenous groups and others. We will also address the international trade in art.

Intellectual Property: We will study copyright issues, as well as the artist’s “moral rights” over his or her work.

Constitutional Law: This includes the artist’s First Amendment right to artistic freedom and the attempts by governments to censor art.

Contract Law: We will study the artist’s relationship with museums, dealers and collectors.

This is a paper seminar. You will write a paper on a topic of your choice, approved by the professor. As usual, attendance and careful preparation are required.