What is the U.S. Visual Arts Rights Act?

The U.S. Visual Arts Rights Act (VARA) is a federal law that protects the creators’ rights to their visual works of art. Under this law, artists have the right to determine how their works of visual art are used and to be credited for their art. This law applies to visual works of art such as paintings, sculptures, drawings, photographs, prints, and other works of fine art. VARA gives artists in New York the exclusive right to prevent any destruction, distortion, mutilation, or modification of their artwork, as well as the right to control the use of their name when their artwork is used. This includes the right to be credited as the creator of the work, as well as the right to object to any false attribution of authorship of the art. Although VARA is a U.S. law, New York State has enacted a separate provision of the Visual Arts Rights Act to protect works of visual art which have been produced and exhibited within the state. This makes artist rights in New York stronger than in other states. In New York, artists can also pursue legal action if their art is misused, altered, or not credited properly. This includes the right to seek damages, as well as to seek removal of the work from public display or publication.

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What is the U.S. Visual Arts Rights Act?

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