Custodianship, Authorship, Autonomy
Who owns culture? Who creates it? And who decides?
Museums face unprecedented political pressure. Indigenous communities continue reclaiming sacred objects from institutional collections. The art market confronts mounting demands for transparency. And as AI reshapes creativity, we find ourselves asking what authorship itself will mean.
This symposium brings together artists, scholars, curators, and legal practitioners to explore these intersecting challenges—from the constitutional boundaries of governmental authority over museums, ownership and monetization of Indigenous cultural property, and emerging questions of authorship in the age of artificial intelligence.
From stewardship to authorship, caring for art carries profound obligations. Join us for a day of critical conversation about who holds, who makes, and who governs art.
Confirmed speakers and topics of discussion include:
◆ Limits to federal authority over cultural institutions featuring Erwin Chemerinsky, Dean and Professor of Law, University of California, Berkeley School of Law
◆ Fireside chat with Sarah Sense featuring Sarah Sense, Artist and Robin Willscheidt, Fellow at the Berkeley Art, Law, and Finance Project
◆ Cultural property protection for Native Americans featuring Hillary Olcott, Curator, Arts of the Americas, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, Sarah Sense, Artist, and Seth Davis, Professor of Law, University of California, Berkeley School of Law
◆ Law, ethics, and the visual arts featuring Simon Frankel, Judge, San Francisco Superior Court and Adine Varah, General Counsel, SFMOMA
◆ The ethics of ownership: financial crime and the custodian’s responsibility featuring Anthony Pickles, Director of Communications, The British Museum and Sharon Cohen Levin, Partner, Sullivan & Cromwell and former Chief of the Asset Forfeiture Unit, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, and Eleanor Iris Gartstein, Berkeley Law JD ‘26
◆ Authorship reimagined: creativity, copyright, and AI featuring Daniel Etcovitch, Copyright Counsel, Anthropic, Anastasia Victor, Artist, and Edward Lee, Professor of Law, Santa Clara University School of Law
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AGENDA
Learn more about the Berkeley Art, Law, and Finance Project>
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This symposium is made possible by the generous support of Lorrie L. Greene and Richard L. Greene, UC Berkeley alumnus (BS, Business Administration ’60; JD ’63).
What People are Saying…
“Given its critical importance at this turning point in technology, the intersection of law and art has no better communing point than the Berkeley Art, Finance, and Law Symposium at SFMOMA. It was a privilege to speak to this group.”
— Kent Keirsey, Founder and CEO, Invoke
“As a practicing attorney, collector of art and antiques (in recovery) and student of art history, the annual symposium at SFMOMA is on my ‘must attend’ list. Speakers are drawn from the entire spectrum of legal and artistic expertise. The panels are informative, provocative and frequently entertaining.”
— Paul Clark, Senior Counsel, Seward & Kissel LLP
“We are honored to host the Berkeley Art, Finance, and Law Symposium at SFMOMA. The Symposium shares the museum’s goals of exploring the power of art and its impact on society. The Symposium is an important catalyst for cross-industry collaboration, and a deeper examination into the fascinating ways that art, finance, and law intersect.”
— Adine Varah, General Counsel, SFMOMA
Program Details
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Who
Whether you’re a collector, curator, artist, lawyer, advisor, or simply curious about the forces shaping cultural institutions, this symposium offers a rare opportunity to engage with the ideas and people defining the future of art.
What
An afternoon of panels, keynote conversations, and critical dialogue on the legal, ethical, and cultural forces reshaping the art world—followed by a cocktail reception at SFMOMA
When
June 4, 2026
Where
SFMOMA
151 3rd St
San Francisco, CA 94103
View map view of nearby hotels
Fees
The registration fee is $200 per person. Proceeds support UC Berkeley’s efforts to build an institute for the study of art, finance, law, technology, and culture. Scholarships are available for students.
Admission
Space is limited, so we encourage you to register early.
MCLE Credit
California MCLE credit will be offered. Reading materials here>
Questions?
Contact us at bclb@law.berkeley.edu