Maryland Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts

Are you a painter, musician or any kind of creative entrepreneur that lives in Maryland? Do you have legal questions or concerns?

Make an appointment for our virtual Art Law Clinic on November 9, 2024 from 1pm-4pm! You can snag a 30-minute consult with one of our volunteer attorneys to sort out any general issues or questions you might have! Registration is $5 & nonrefundable.

Link in our bio.

The Black Artist Fair is an educational and interactive event designed to connect Black creatives from the Greater Baltimore Area to resources and services to further enhance their crafts and careers.

The Black Artist Fair curates a space specifically for Black creatives to combat the issues of equity around access to resources and opportunities.

The fair features a resource fair, marketplace, workshops, panels, art labs, and free headshots. The event will take place at Coppin State University's J. Millard Tawes Center on Sunday, November 3rd from 10am-6pm.

Drop by and see us anytime or stop in for our workshop on knowing when it's time to talk to an attorney from 2-3:30pm.

From October 23-25, 2024, Maryland Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts (MdVLA) will be hosting the annual convening of National Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts (NVLA) organizations in Baltimore, Maryland.

We are excited to bring together leaders from all around the country who are advancing the mission of Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts in their cities and states.

In advance of the conference, we want to hear from our stakeholders! Share your thoughts with us at the link in our bio.

SAVE THE DATE: November 3, 2024

This year, MdVLA will be joining the Black Arts District and a host of other amazing organizations and artists for the 4th Annual Black Artist Fair. This fair is geared towards Black artists and creatives in Baltimore and around the region.

Keep your eyes and ears peeled for more information about what to expect at the Black Artist Fair. Don't forget to follow for all the latest updates.

Have you ever agreed to collaborate with someone?

Sell your work to a patron?

License your intellectual property?

Creating a contract is the best way to clarify how those things should work! Join MdVLA for a discussion on contract basics for creative entrepreneurs, and learn how to protect yourself and your work. Registration at the link in our bio.

Join the Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC) and MdVLA for legal office hours on October 8, 2024 from 2-3pm, which are a chance to ask an attorney any questions about your creative work, from how copyright law applies in certain situations, to whether a particular type of collaboration requires a contract, and more.

Register at the link in our bio!

Are you a painter, musician or any kind of creative entrepreneur that lives in Maryland? Do you have legal questions or concerns?

Make an appointment for our virtual Art Law Clinic on October 5, 2024 from 1pm-4pm at Open Works! You can snag a 30-minute consult with one of our volunteer attorneys to sort out any general issues or questions you might have! Registration is $5 & nonrefundable.

Link in our bio.

As a creator, your intellectual property is a valuable asset. Join the Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC) and MdVLA for a workshop about the basics of Copyright, Trademark & Patent Law on October 1, 2024 from 2-3pm.

This virtual presentation will discuss what these tools for protecting your intellectual property do and do not cover, issues in ownership, and steps you can take to prevent or address infringement of your work.

Register at the link in our bio!

Each month Black businesses and Black creatives are invited to attend the Black Artist Fair Monthly Series which includes refreshments, a marketplace, a workshop, opportunity to connect with local resources and a chance to win a $500 creative event sponsorship!

Save the date for September 17, 2024 when Maryland Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts will present a workshop on Social Media and Intellectual Property. The fair is from 6pm-9pm. Our workshop will begin at 7pm.

Register at the link in our bio!

MdVLA and the Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC) are providing free legal office hours on September 10 from 2-3pm.

Legal Office Hours are a chance to ask an attorney any questions about your creative work, from how copyright law applies in certain situations, to whether a particular type of collaboration requires a contract, and more.

Register at the link in our bio.

During this free, public event MdVLA and S.DOT are teaming up to talk about the ins and outs of Copyright & Licensing at Baltimore Museum of Art's (BMA) Lexington Market space.

Specifically, we'll be focusing on those who produce music, DJ, and perform on musical tracks.

Join us on September 14, 2024 from 1-3pm at Baltimore's Lexington Market (112 N Eutaw St, Baltimore, MD 21201) for a jam-packed lecture and Q&A with MdVLA's Staff Attorney, Christia Ravenell, and Baltimore club musician, S.DOT.

MdVLA and the Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC) are producing a free, virtual lecture on the basics of estate planning for artists.

By understanding the power of estate planning, artists can influence how their work exists now and beyond their lifetime. The focus will be on people with collections of physical works (e.g., paintings, plays, compositions, etc.) and those physical works’ intellectual property rights.

Register at the link in our bio!

Are you a painter, musician or any kind of creative entrepreneur that lives in Maryland?

Do you have legal questions or concerns?

Make an appointment for our Art Law Clinic on September 7, 2024 at Jubilee Arts from 1pm-4pm!

You can snag a 30-minute consult with one of our volunteer attorneys to sort out any general issues or questions you might have. Registration is $5 & nonrefundable. Link in our bio.

This summer, MdVLA had the pleasure of working with Jubilee Arts' Youth in Business program to host a 4-week program outlining the ins and outs of Copyright, Trademark and Licensing. The students will be showcasing their work THIS Friday, August 16, 2024 from 6-8pm at Baltimore Unity Hall.

Learn more about the showcase and support Jubilee's mission and vision by visiting the link in our bio to purchase a ticket.

We will not be hosting a clinic in the month of August, but you can still have your legal questions answered during our Legal Office Hours with the Maryland State Arts Council on August 13, 2024 from 2-3pm.

Learn more about the event and register at the link in our bio.

Join us on August 10, 2024 at 10:30am at the Overlea Arts Festival! This free, public presentation on Business Entities will be presented by MdVLA Staff Attorney, Christia Ravenell and translated in Spanish. Find more details about the event and register at the link in our bio.

¡Únase a nosotros el 10 de agosto de 2024 a las 10:30 a. m. en el Overlea Arts Festival! Esta presentación pública y gratuita sobre entidades comerciales será presentada por la abogada de MdVLA, Christia Ravenell y traducida al español. Encuentra más detalles sobre el evento y regístrate en el enlace de nuestra biografía.

Last year, our team at Maryland Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts nearly doubled in size. Today, more changes are on the horizon. Justin Weathers, our former Program Assistant, is headed off to law school at Stanford University. Join us in congratulating Justin & read more about his time at MdVLA.

Please help us welcome Lynn Hunter as MdVLA's new Program Assistant! Lynn, a returning member of the MdVLA team, joins us after having recently received her graduate degree in Fine Art & Performance. Read more about Lynn & the rest of the team at the link in our bio.

As an organization, we remain committed to transparency and being visible to the communities we serve. We know how important it can be to put a name to a face. It's our hope that this will continue to make way for us to be in conversation & community with each other. We'll see you all out there.

Ensure your photos are protected! Join us as we co-host a FREE webinar with the , titled " ' Rights: Navigating Realities," on August 8 at 2 p.m. ET. Learn about copyright, 's impact on the industry, and much more. Register today!

Calling all photographers! We are excited to co-host a FREE webinar with the , titled "Photographers' Rights: Navigating Copyright Realities," on August 8 at 2 p.m. ET. During the event, will learn how their works are protected by copyright, get practical tips for enforcing their rights against online infringement, and learn about the hot-topic copyright issues affecting photographers today, including the profound impact of on their craft. Register today!

Are you a painter, musician or any kind of creative entrepreneur that lives in Maryland? Do you have legal questions or concerns?

Make an appointment for our virtual Art Law Clinic on July 27, 2024 from 1pm-4pm! You can snag a 30-minute consult with one of our volunteer attorneys to sort out any general issues or questions you might have! Registration is $5 & nonrefundable. Link in our bio.

🚨🚨ACTION ALERT: Governor Wes Moore has recommended a $437,000 cut to the Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC).

While the reduction may seem small, this cut could eliminate hundreds of arts grants that go directly to community-based groups. Many of these groups serve historically underinvested communities, provide youth programming, and offer services not found in any other sector.

Please join us in voicing our concern and highlighting the essential role of the arts by clicking here: https://tr.ee/J9pERzwW5I

Join us & Maryland State Arts Council for Legal Office Hours next Tuesday, July 9 from 2-3pm. This is an opportunity to ask an attorney any questions about your creative work, from how copyright law applies in certain situations, to whether a particular type of collaboration requires a contract, and more.

We're teaming up with the Maryland State Arts Council for Nonprofit Governance for Arts Organizations webinar on Tuesday, July 2, 2024 from 2-3pm.

This discussion will focus on the legal obligations of a board of directors, which is largely responsible for ensuring the nonprofit works toward its mission and remains sustainable in the long term. This session will cover nonprofit bylaws.

Learn more about the session at the link in our bio and join us for Legal Office Hours the following Tuesday!

We're teaming up with the Maryland State Arts Council for virtual legal office hours tomorrow from 2-3pm.

This is a chance for any artist or creative to ask an attorney any questions about your creative work, from how copyright law applies in certain situations, to whether a particular type of collaboration requires a contract, and more. Register at the link in our bio!

ART LAW UPDATE: Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (MI-12) and Congressman Jamaal Bowman (NY-16) have introduced The Living Wage for Musicians Act which would create a new streaming royalty, with the aim to compensate artists and musicians more fairly at a penny per stream when their music plays on streaming services. Read about Tlaib's efforts at the link in our bio.

The Black Arts District is gathering information from it's 2024 Arts Survey which will be used to create a public report on Baltimore City Artists & Creatives.

If you are a Black artist living and working in the city, please complete the survey and join their artist registry! Check it out at the link in our bio.