Creating a Living Legacy: John Koos

Can you share what has changed for you as a result of being a part of the CALL program?
I am aware that [Legacy Specialists] Maia, Beth and Dave’s presence in my studio has made a constructive impact on the recent work made and on the work that’s in development.

Can you give us a sense of what needed to be accomplished when you started working with the CALL program?
The first steps involved, were to survey the work and decide on the most efficient approach to organize everything. Since most of my recent work was on paper we started with that. We decided to leave sketchbooks and small drawings for last, if there was time. But most of this work can be scanned, which I can do myself.

What has been the most rewarding aspect of this work?
My Legacy Specialists, Maia, Beth and Dave were all wonderful to work with. They were friendly, talented and efficient and I believe we formed a great relationship right from the very beginning. They also appreciated my work, which helped a great deal in the documenting process. It feels good that there is some record of my work, which has been very important to me and is not always practical to physically preserve.

What has been most difficult?
There is never enough time!

What do you recommend to artist who might be in the early stages of creating an inventorying system?
I would recommend organizing work by similar time periods, or other categories that makes sense to your work.