In 2025 Artists Archives of the Western Reserve (AAWR) debuts a new series of workshops through their ‘Art Bites’ series of events meant to help artists and their families with all aspects of the planning that needs to be done in order to preserve their artistic legacies. This series of nine in-person workshops will be led by artist, educator and community activist Gina Washington. Ms. Washington has an MFA from Ohio University, and has taught general art, photography and ceramics courses for youth for almost 20 years, as well as being on multiple boards and panels including CAN journal, the Transformative Arts Fund Team, Restore Cleveland Hope, and the National Endowment for the Arts panel. She, and a select group of Cleveland-area experts, will cover such concepts as; Organizing and Documenting, Preservation, Legal and Financial Considerations, Exhibition and Publicity, Sharing Their Story, Engaging with Art Communities, Creating a Legacy Plan, and Digital Archiving.
Organize and Document: Saturday Feb 22, 2025, 1-2:30 pm
Led by AAWR registrar Katie Young. This first workshop in the series is designed to help artists start the process of organizing their inventory, and an overview of the process of documentation. It will include discussion on what sorts of things to save and what to discard (art vs. ephemera, examples of work process & the stories behind the work), the use of a database, and resources to help.
Preservation: March 8, 2025, 1-2:30 pm
Presented by Jordan Mesavage – conservation preparator, from the Inter-Museum Conservation Association (ICA), based here in Cleveland, OH. This workshop will cover how to properly store your artwork to prevent damage. Considerations of materials used in the making process, as well as framing pieces with archival-quality materials, using acid-free storage boxes, and controlling the environment (temperature, humidity, light) to avoid deterioration.
Legal and Financial Considerations: Sat May 10, 2025 1-2:30 pm
Presented by lawyers Todd K Masuda and Dawn McFadden. Estate planning is crucial to preserving your legacy. What does this entail for an artist leaving behind physical work, web sites, and social media pages? Considerations include handling legal and financial aspects such as appraisals, insurance, and estate planning.
Exhibition and Publicity: Sat. July 26, 2025, 1–2:30 pm
Presented by Karen Eterovich, daughter of Archived Artist Anthony Eterovich. Join Karen as she talks about how she successfully created a living legacy for her father’s work after he passed; from inventorying; marketing; planning and arranging exhibitions, and public displays; as well as locating his work into regional museums.
Sharing Stories: September 6, 1 – 2:30 pm
How do you write about your life and work? Who wants to read it, where do you share it and how? Biographies, articles, social media, and oral history.
The Subjective Art of Death: 3 events starting in Sept – Dec, 2025 TBD
Presented by Death Doula Brandi Wiles, of the Cleveland Death Society. Many artists avoid the idea of planning a legacy because it means dealing with the concept of death.
Engage with us as we offer a series of small, safe, intimate conversations and events around death, which can help deal with a difficult and emotional topic.
September 10, 6:30 – 8 pm at AAWR
November 19, 6:30 – 8 pm at AAWR
December 6, time to be determined, at B-Side Lounge
By taking these steps, you can help ensure that your loved one’s artistic legacy is maintained and continues to be appreciated by others