The Art Biz

What to Do With 400 Paintings: Artist Legacy and Economic Reality with Alissa Quart (243)

Oct 9, 2025
Alissa Quart, Executive Director of the Economic Hardship Reporting Project and author, shares her journey of managing her mother's extensive art collection after a terminal diagnosis. She creatively distributed 400 paintings directly to the community, emphasizing the importance of connection over traditional gallery routes. The conversation delves into the vital infrastructure artists need, the legal barriers hindering their work, and the emotional complexity of curating an artist's legacy. Alissa provides insights on community support and the impact of recognition on an artist's life.
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ANECDOTE

400 Paintings Revealed At 90

  • Alissa discovered her mother Barbara had painted almost daily for 30 years and amassed about 400 paintings.
  • The revelation came when Barbara turned 90 and received a terminal diagnosis, forcing decisions about the work.
ANECDOTE

The Horror Story That Sparked Action

  • Barbara told Alissa a horror story about a blind, senile artist whose canvases were recycled by well-meaning younger people.
  • That story motivated Alissa to keep control of the paintings and find humane ways to place them.
INSIGHT

Housing As Creative Infrastructure

  • Stable affordable housing and long-term community enabled Barbara's decades-long practice.
  • Alissa argues artists need sustained, intergenerational communities, not short-term subsidies, to prosper.
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