Previous posts summarized the opinions of conservators about the case ASCALON v. DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION, et al. A settlement has been reached and is available on the blog run by the Ascalon family.
David Ascalon’s sculpture will be restored in accordance with his original vision. This is a triumph for the artist, for VARA, and for conservators.
Eric Ascalon communicated to me by e-mail:
I hope the publicity the case has generated has helped raise awareness and educate art consumers and commissioning entities about VARA. As awareness of this law increases, where an artist’s moral rights would otherwise be at risk, perhaps a potential violator will give pause. Furthermore, I hope that with increase awareness, commissioning entities will be more likely to leave art conservation to professionals.
Discussions about The Visual Artist’s Rights Act (VARA) continues, as in this article recently in the Huffington Post.