ArTips©-The newsletter dedicated to the business of art.

Sometimes practical, sometimes techy, always helpful.

Donating a piece of your artwork is a great way to help get your name out there. But did you know that in the United States an artist who donates his or her own work for a charitable cause can only deduct the cost of materials, not the fair market value of the work?

Congress is working to change this, but hasn't been able to yet. There have been bills before both the House and the Senate over the years, but they never get enough votes to pass. These bills have been reintroduced in the 109th Congress as HR 1120: Artists' Contribution to American Heritage Act of 2005, and S.372: Artist-Museum Partnership Act.

I urge all artists to write to their Congressmen and ask for support for these bills. Full details and sample letters can be found on my web site's Resource section.

And if you're in the Philadelphia area, look for my ARTBiz column each month in Art Matters.