Why subscribe?

You need to take classes and pass tests to practice law, medicine, or drive a commercial vehicle, but artists wield the power to turn everyday objects into priceless masterpieces — with no regulatory oversight. Jonathan Miller Spies writes a weekly newsletter on the development of the American artist as an economic actor. From the colonial era to today’s NFT mania, the history of this lawless vocation teaches lessons for curators, collectors, investors, artists, and their estates.

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