The Trustees of the Ora Lerman Charitable Trust are proud to administer the Artistic Works of Ora Lerman and the Soaring Gardens Artists' Retreat.   When the distinguished American painter, Ora Lerman, died in 1998, she left a substantial body of figurative paintings, charcoals and watercolors. She stipulated in her will that all her of her artistic output was to be put into a Trust, which arranges publications, exhibits and sales.

Ora also expressed the wish that when her husband, David Ostwald, no longer wanted to use it, Soaring Gardens, her country home and studio in the bucolic hills of Pennsylvania, should become a retreat for artists. David decided to put the farm into the Trust so that when he is not using it, Ora's vision might be fulfilled sooner rather than later. In the summer of 2000 Soaring Gardens saw its first resident artists. The Trustees (Gertrude Gerlach, Joan Marter, Margaret Mathews-Berenson, David Ostwald, Ann Sutherland Harris) welcome artists' inquiries for future residencies.

The ORA LERMAN CHARITABLE TRUST' first panel discussion: "TAKING CHARGE OF YOUR LEGACY: ESTATE PLANNING FOR VISUAL ARTISTS" was held on November 7, 2005. Sponsored jointly by the HEBREW UNION COLLEGE-JEWISH INSTITUTE OF RELIGION, NEW YORK, it attracted over 70 audience members and addressed key issues of estate and financial planning for visual artists.

Panelists shared their expertise in art law, trusts and estates, and financial management. They included: Linda Konheim Kramer, Executive Director, Nancy Graves Foundation; Dr. Joan Marter, President, Dorothy Dehner Foundation; Eric Siegeltuch, Financial Planner, Metropolitan Life Financial Services; and Christopher Schwabacher, Estate Planning Lawyer, Brauner Baron Rosenzweig & Klein.

We plan on holding biannual panel discussions to serve as informative forums for visual artists. To be placed on our mailing list to receive information about the next one, send email to dostwald@worldnet.att.net and please put "Lerman Trust mailing list" in the subject line.