Greetings!

I recently had the privilege of presenting the Berkeley Art, Law, and Finance Project at the Summer School of Scuola IMT Alti Studi Lucca, alongside Berkeley Law Professor Sonia Katyal. The thoughtful dialogue and international exchange reminded me why interdisciplinary collaboration is so essential in our field.

In my latest blog, "From Berkeley to Lucca: Why Art Needs More Than Just Artists," I share reflections from this transformative experience and a moment of clarity: "what we're building at Berkeley isn't just relevant globally—it's desperately needed everywhere." From Lorenzo de' Medici's Renaissance cultural innovation lab to the disappearance of Leonardo’s “Salvator Mundi” right after it sold for a record price, I explore how Italy's magnificent synthesis of culture and innovation perfectly mirrors the interdisciplinary bridges we're creating. I hope you enjoy it!

This month's developments include proposals for artwork legal personhood, federal arts policy shifts, major restitution cases, exhibition censorship concerns, declining auction sales favoring Old Masters, new E.U. import regulations, proposed U.S. anti-money-laundering legislation, and AI-guided authentication innovations.

Delia Violante

Founder of the Berkeley Art, Law, and Finance Project

Berkeley Center for Law and Business

James C. Kao - Knights, sumi-ink on paper, 16x112

Academic Corner

SERGIO ALBERTO GRAMITTO RICCI | HOFSTRA UNIVERSITY, MAURICE A. DEANE SCHOOL OF LAW

Sergio Alberto Gramitto Ricci from Hofstra University's Maurice A. Deane School of Law presents a compelling theoretical framework for the legal personhood of artwork, arguing that art itself deserves fundamental rights. His analysis highlights critical issues including the unjust monetization of indigenous cultural pieces and the broader significance of artwork that speaks to both individuals and communities. Katie Perry's accompanying reflections expand this discussion to address generative AI's rapid transformation of artistic creation, examining what it means for human-created artwork to have rights in an era where new works can be generated from existing sources instantly. Central to Gramitto Ricci's argument is the concept that each artwork possesses a distinct social existence independent of its creators and owners—a recognition that could reshape our current legal paradigm, which focuses primarily on artists and proprietors rather than the art itself. Read more>

ROBIN WILLSCHEIDT | BERKELEY ART, LAW, AND FINANCE PROJECT

Robin Willscheidt, Senior Fellow at the Berkeley Art, Law, and Finance Project, explores the flurry of actions by the incoming federal administration that have created new mandates, questions and challenges for the arts in the United States. These actions have reshaped the federal government’s approach to arts and cultural policy, and have created significant uncertainty for the state, local, tribal, and non-profit arts organizations that depend on federal support. Robin's quick reference guide outlines the evolving legal and operational landscape of federal arts entities, detailing the institutions affected, the scope of recent directives, and the legal frameworks that govern these institutions. It aims to provide a snapshot of a complex and rapidly developing situation—one with far-reaching implications for cultural organizations and the people they serve nationwide. Read more>

In addition, as a winner of this year's "Rule of Law" writing competition organized by the Beverly Hills Bar Foundation, Robin will be presenting her publication entitled "Poking a Sleeping Bear: Cultural Landscapes in the 1906 Antiquities Act" in a webinar hosted by the Beverly Hills Bar Association on Thursday, August 7 from 12:30-1:30 PM. The American Antiquities Act of 1906 permits a president to designate “objects of historic and scientific interest”—and the federal lands associated with them—as national monuments. Bears Ears National Monument, located in southeastern Utah, is one such landscape, sacred to Native communities in the region and under fire from opponents that wish to limit the scope of a president's authority under the Act. In her article, Robin explores the Antiquities Act through the fight over Bears Ears, arguing that "cultural landscapes" fall within the Act's intended purview. The webinar offers attorney CLE credit and law students and young attorneys can join at no cost. Register here> 

Stradivarius Plundered During World War II Resurfaces

THE NEW YORK TIMES

A one-of-a-kind violin by the storied luthier Antonio Stradivari, stolen from a bank vault where it had been deposited by its Jewish owners at the end of World War II, was presumed lost or destroyed. Experts, including Carla Shapreau, Faculty Advisor of the Berkeley Art, Law, and Finance Project, believe it has resurfaced in Tokyo. The case highlights the unique challenges of tracing object provenance in the rare instrument trade. Read more>

Group Attempts to Block Parthenon Marbles Deal

ARTNET

As the British Museum negotiates a partnership with Greece regarding the Parthenon marbles, a right-wing group including former Prime Minister Liz Truss sent a letter threatening legal action to current Prime Minister Keir Starmer, culture secretary Lisa Nandy, and British Museum Trustees. Read more>

Controversy Over Auction of HBC’s Artifact Collection

THE ART NEWSPAPER

North America’s oldest company has filed for bankruptcy, with proceedings in Canadian courts. The judge overseeing the case ruled it was “reasonable” for Hudson Bay Company to proceed with liquidation of its vast private collection of art and artefacts. Academics and Indigenous communities are calling on the Canadian government to halt the sale and make public the catalogue of items up for auction. Read more>

Citing Censorship, Amy Sherald Cancels Smithsonian Show

THE NEW YORK TIMES

Amy Sherald has canceled her solo show "American Sublime" which was set to open at the National Portrait Gallery, a Smithsonian museum, after concerns about the inclusion of her painting "Trans Forming Liberty", which depicts a transgender woman in a pose resembling the Statue of Liberty. The Smithsonian has come under attack from the White House, which issued an executive order in March criticizing its policies. Read more>

Seizure of Schiele Work Validated by New York Court

ART LAWYERS ASSOCIATION

Proceeding under New York State criminal laws, the Antiquities Trafficking Unit of the Office of the District Attorney of New York County succeeded in a state trial court action to turn over “Russian War Prisoner,” a work by Egon Schiele hanging in the Art Institute of Chicago that changed hands during the Nazi era. Read more>

E.U. Tightens Art and Antiquities Import Regulations

ARTNET

E.U. Regulation 2019/880, which imposes stricter import controls on art and antiquities outside the E.U. that are over 200 years old and worth more than $19,500, went into effect on June 28. Critics argue that the new requirements do not align with the realities of the art market and unreasonably burden both E.U.-based dealers and collectors abroad. Read more>

AI and Robotics Used to Identify Art Fraud

CTV NEWS

As the largest case of art fraud in Canadian history unfolds, the estate of the famed Indigenous painter Norval Morrisseau is utilizing artificial intelligence trained on robotically produced replicas to help authenticate the late artist’s works, hoping to provide empirical evidence for investigators and Canadian courts. Read more>

Art Market Integrity Act Targets Money Laundering

THE ART NEWSPAPER

On July 23, a bipartisan coalition of U.S. senators introduced the Art Market Integrity Act, which would impose anti-money-laundering requirements on dealers, collectors, galleries, auction houses, advisors, and museums. Compliance measures would fall to the Department of the Treasury under the Bank Secrecy Act. Read more>

2028 LA Olympics Inspires Cultural Programs

ENGAGE WEST HOLLYWOOD

The City of West Hollywood’s Creative Triennium (2025–2028) is a citywide cultural initiative leading up to the 2028 Olympics, including immersive art programming, community engagement, and legacy projects. The project offers a model other cities can adapt to build community-driven cultural capital and attract international attention during and after global events in order to drive long-term development. Read more>

Report Alert: ArtTactic Identifies Market Trends

ARTNEWS

A report by ArtTactic, an art market research and analysis company, indicates that global auction sales fell 6.2% in early 2025, with sharp drops in post-war and contemporary art, largely due to fewer high-value lots. Data indicates that the largest increase in sales is for Old Masters, demonstrating that in times of uncertainty, buyers gravitate toward older artists whose market trades more consistently. In addition, the lower end of the market, or works estimated at $1 million and below, remains consistent. Read more>

Meet the Artist

JAMES C. KAO

James C. Kao is an abstract and surrealist artist with a personal history of growing up in both Taipei, Taiwan and the United States. Using textual characters, he creates graphic entities and narrative concepts that explore and present ideas relating to identities in an encoded and sometimes nonsensical way. The contrast of traditional ink calligraphy and subversive, fragmented cultural context produces a whimsical and exceedingly thought-provoking collection. Learn more>

Please note that some articles listed may be subject to a paywall.

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