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Art is a record of personal experience and of the era in which we live. You have, as an artist, the span of your lifetime to achieve the kind of success that will ensure survival of your work. A fatal illness can shorten that period. There are steps you can take to give your work the cushion of time so that later it may be recognized, both as artistic achievement and as a record of your life.

As an artist, you are used to being your own best resource, so it will come as no surprise that you must take the initiative in planning for the survival of your work. The process of making a will and planning for the care of your work is as an act of self-respect. The commercial success of your art should not be a factor in your planningyou have spent a lifetime making this art and it deserves to survive, regardless of the recognition you may have received from cultural institutions or the art market.

This publication has been researched and produced by a group of people in the arts who want to provide basic advice on how to begin planning for the care of your art. It is not a "how-to" manual on writing wills. Nor, is it meant to replace the excellent advice already available from AIDS service providers on health care, insurance and general legal issues facing all people living with HIV and AIDS.

We hope this publication will be useful to any artist working in any mediumchoreographic or musical scores, paintings, sculptures, photographs, manuscripts, plays, theater designs, films, videos, and other disciplines. Much of the information provided, however, will apply equally to an interpretive artistan actor, dancer or musician. Please note that theater artists are addressed as part of literature; those in this multidisciplinary form who work in music, dance or design should also consult appropriate chapters.