Art Legacy Planning: Securing the Future of Your Collection

May 10, 2025

For art collectors, legacy planning is one of the most important, yet least discussed, aspects of building a collection. While many focus on acquiring beautiful works or securing investment-grade pieces, few consider what happens to their collection over time, especially after they’re no longer around to manage it. Legacy planning ensures your collection carries forward your values, tells your story, and continues to have cultural or philanthropic impact well into the future.

In this article, we explore why legacy planning matters, what collectors often overlook, and how to start the process with confidence. To better understand the nuances of this process, we requested the expertise of Nina Kong-Surtees, Founder and Chief Art Legacy Advisor of smART Advisory. With a background that blends curation, technology, and cultural stewardship, Nina helps collectors craft legacy strategies that reflect not only their taste but their vision for the future.

Why Art Legacy Planning Matters

Art collections are more than just a group of objects; they are living representations of the collector’s identity, passion, and purpose. Legacy planning offers a framework for turning a personal collection into a cultural contribution. Without thoughtful planning, even the most significant collections can lose context, fall into disrepair, or become a burden for heirs.

Art can also be a vital part of your estate. Whether it’s passed on to family, donated to an institution, or sold to fund philanthropic efforts, a plan allows you to control the narrative. It’s not just about what’s being left behind, but how.

As Nina Kong-Surtees explains, “I ask collectors to take a pause from the market lens and consider the emotional one. I begin by asking a simple but powerful question: What drew you to these works in the first place? Often, it opens up deeper stories, memories of travel, relationships they built with artists, or a desire to support a specific movement or identity. We then trace patterns in what they’ve collected over time. These aren’t just acquisitions, they’re expressions of worldview, aesthetics, and often, a quiet rebellion against the status quo. Helping collectors define their values isn’t about turning art into checkboxes, rather turning emotion into intention. Once that clarity emerges, it becomes the guiding star for their legacy.”

What Most Art Collectors Overlook

While much energy goes into acquiring art, legacy planning is often an afterthought. Critical components such as documentation, provenance, condition reports, and artist correspondence are frequently neglected. These are the elements that preserve not just the value but the historical and cultural integrity of a collection. Invisible threads like provenance and documentation are what hold a collection together. Without them, works can lose their meaning and their value.

Another critical but often overlooked area is succession planning. Who will take care of the collection? What happens if heirs aren’t interested or equipped to manage it? Planning for stewardship whether through family, institutions, or charitable foundations ensures that your intentions are carried out.

As Nina Kong-Surtees puts it, helping collectors define those values starts with understanding their personal connection to the work: “Legacy doesn’t begin at the end, it’s shaped throughout the collecting journey. I guide collectors to see their holdings not just as assets, but as a reflection of their beliefs and hopes for the future. When those intentions are clarified, they can choose pathways, be it institutional partnerships, family involvement, or public access, that feel authentic and lasting.”

Collectors sometimes assume that museums or galleries will readily accept a donation, but without the proper groundwork, condition reporting, appraisals, and an articulated curatorial rationale, institutions may decline the gift.

Nina Kong-Surtees often sees this disconnect firsthand. “One common pitfall,” she notes, “is assuming that a museum’s ‘yes’ is unconditional. Even well-intentioned gifts can be declined, redirected, or deaccessioned later if they don’t fit the institution’s evolving focus. I help collectors understand that it’s not just about offering a work, it’s about understanding what the institution values, how decisions are made, and who needs to be at the table. When collectors approach gifting with openness and patience, it shifts from a transactional mindset to one of partnership.”

Planning Tools and Art Legacy Advisors

Legacy planning isn’t a solo endeavor. It involves collaboration between estate attorneys, appraisers, art advisors, and sometimes, an art legacy advisor. While traditional art advisors may focus on acquisitions and investment potential, legacy advisors provide a more holistic approach. They collectors articulate and activate the ‘why’ behind their collection. That means integrating creative vision with practical steps whether it’s preparing for a museum loan, making a donation, or educating the next generation.

As Nina Kong-Surtees explains, collaboration is key: “Legacy planning isn’t done in a vacuum. I regularly partner with estate lawyers, tax professionals, and museum staff to make sure we’re all pulling in the same direction. My role is to keep the collector’s vision front and center while translating that vision into terms each stakeholder understands. When everyone brings their expertise to the table with shared clarity and respect, the plan becomes more resilient, and more meaningful.”

Thinking Beyond the Home

Planning for the future of your collection also means considering where it will live. Will it be donated to an institution? Loaned for exhibitions? Stored for posterity? A legacy plan can include strategic gifting, charitable donations, or even setting up a private foundation. Collectors today are exploring more dynamic possibilities, including art residencies, traveling exhibitions, and partnerships with community organizations. These models not only preserve the work but continue the collector’s mission.

Nina Kong-Surtees shares one such example: “One collector I worked with transformed part of their home into a rotating residency and discussion space, not just for artists, but for activists and educators. The idea wasn’t to build a static foundation, but to create a living platform for dialogue. The collection became the backdrop for conversations on identity, justice, and belonging. That kind of placement isn’t listed in a handbook, it emerges from understanding what the collector really wants to say with their legacy, and then building structures that make it possible.”

The Evolving Role of Women in Legacy Building

Women are playing an increasingly powerful role in shaping the future of art collecting and how collections are preserved. With a focus on inclusivity, education, and cultural impact, more women are collecting with intention and planning for the long term. Legacy planning can be especially empowering for women, helping them step into their role as cultural stewards with clarity and confidence.

Nina Kong-Surtees sees this as a powerful shift, and says “for many women I work with, legacy planning becomes a tool for visibility and voice. It’s not only about securing what they’ve built. It’s about amplifying what matters to them. I’ve seen women establish curatorial fellowships, create mentorship pipelines, and intentionally support spaces where their values, equity, access, representation, can live on. It’s a way of saying: I was here, I made an impact, and I want that impact to keep resonating.”

How to Get Started

Legacy planning doesn’t require a massive collection or a museum-worthy archive. It starts with asking the right questions:

• What do I want my collection to say about me?
• Who should benefit from it?
• How can I ensure it’s preserved, understood, and appreciated?

Begin by documenting your collection thoroughly. Engage with professionals who can help with valuation, conservation, and legal planning. Most importantly, make your wishes known. Legacy planning is a long-term conversation and the earlier you start, the more options you have and the more intentional your impact can be.

Nina Kong-Surtees advises starting with simplicity, and stated “when collectors feel overwhelmed, I remind them that they don’t need all the answers at once. Start with a single conversation, with yourself. Ask: What do I want this collection to say? That one question can unlock so much clarity. From there, it’s easier to identify the right collaborators and next steps. Legacy isn’t a checklist, it’s a series of thoughtful decisions that grow from knowing your own story.”

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