18th Annual Artistic License Awards 2026
May 31, 2026
4:00 – 7:00 PM
William Turner Gallery
Bergamot Station, Santa Monica
Learn With Us
May 7
Business & Legal Basics for Artists of All Disciplines: How to Form and Maintain a Successful Arts Business
Join us in Sacramento for an accessible introduction to the legal and business basics of operating an arts business.
Topics covered include formation options, compliance requirements, and common challenges artists face, with an emphasis on practical strategies for long-term success.
California Lawyers for the Arts empowers the creative community by providing:
Arts Advocacy
Dispute Resolution Services
Lawyer Referral & Information Services (LRIS)
Career Development Programs
Mission
California Lawyers for the Arts protects and promotes artists of all disciplines and the creative community by providing education, alternative dispute resolution, access to legal representation and advocacy.
Vision
Artists and arts organizations serve as agents of democratic involvement, innovation, and positive social change, and the growth of an empowered arts sector is essential to healthy communities. CLA’s leadership and services strengthen the arts for the benefit of communities throughout California and nationally.
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Resources
NEA Toolkit, Artists, Cultural Workers, and Youth With Disabilities
The National Endowment for the Arts has developed a toolkit for people with disabilities seeking careers in the arts. Designed for performers, visual artists, teaching artists, cultural workers, administrators and more, the toolkit will help disabled artists access career opportunities.
Arts in Corrections - Tool Kits
These Tool Kits have been assembled to provide the arts in corrections field with useful documents for program development, delivery and evaluation. .
Life after AB-5
CLA’s Life After AB5 Toolkit describes the legal background of the AB5 law and various options that employers and the artists they work with can consider going forward. The newest edition incorporates the latest state legislative amendments.
CLA News
Testimonials
I’ve been a graphic designer about 34 years. It was during the pandemic that I discovered California Lawyers for the Arts. They allowed people with no money to attend their webinars and even speak to their volunteer attorneys. I am so appreciative of that and as soon as I could afford to pay their actually nominal membership fee I joined and I’m still a member of California Lawyers for the Arts and still grateful for their help.
T.
What can I say about California Lawyers for the Arts. I’m grateful for the opportunity they’ve given me and the cohort; all the things we’ve learned, the new things that we’re experiencing. I’ve really enjoyed this this internship and I really highly recommend it to other formerly incarcerated individuals that are looking for something where they can learn new skills and grow.
C.
I had the wonderful opportunity to attend many of CLA’s educational programs, including music business and tax seminars which were instrumental as I was building my career. Just as important, CLA’s lawyer referral and mediation services helped me and my organization immensely. This is a big shout out to Alma Robinson, the staff of California Lawyers for the Arts, their board of directors. Without this valuable organization, life here in San Francisco in the arts community would be greatly diminished. Love you all, bye bye.
I.
I want to thank CLA and the team over there for playing a critical role in linking inventors regardless of their income with top quality legal services like WSGR. ….. They spent $30000, more than $30000 dollars with the billable hours pro bono to help us create, file, and prosecute a patent ….. by the end of the year we should have our first patent on an improved face mask so that kids can wear face masks to be safer. So thanks again CLA you’re a big part of it, thank you.
J.
Hi, I am just here to give a profound wonderful thank you to California Lawyers for the Arts. They have been absolutely wonderful in finding me 2 different law firms to get assistance which is great for those of us who don’t have tons of money to pay lawyers. And it just without California Lawyers for the Arts I wouldn’t have my patent which was extremely well written by an international law firm and it was a joy to work for them. I also am working on another patent with another firm that they introduced me to and I just love the work and I’m so so grateful. So thank you.
L.
I participated as an intern in the DCF cohort when I was fresh out of incarceration living in a program and designing creative futures that program literally changed my life. I am now working for two non-profit organizations in the process of starting my own nonprofit organization and I would not have been able to do that without this particular start. The workshops were amazing, they made you feel, they made you think. It was really impactful, not only that the aftercare. I literally could not have survived after the internship without the aftercare. The aftercare is literally what got me the position that I am in today….

