TS Eliot once said that April was the cruelest month, but that was probably because he never got to participate in a free legal workshop for scribble-centric modernists and other creatives…who knows, perhaps The Wasteland might’ve been populated with a few more hopeful Frostian roads less traveled.

Ever had a big idea swept away from you by a nemesis, wished you’d copyrighted that recording, negotiated for digital rights on your tell-all, or wondered what-the-heck’s a 501(c)(3)?!

Then join us for high tea on the legal high seas on Thursday, April 3 for a Community Artist Lab—So Sue Me: Sound Advice from Peter Vaughan Shaver, Esq.—a free, informal, legal workshop geared for actors, performers, artists, band managers, cartoonists/designers, filmmakers, writers, and, yes, even big-time theater directors.

The Community Artist Lab takes place at 4 pm in the Lobby of the Gerding Theater at the Armory. FREE ADMISSION

Peter Vaughan Shaver is Portland-based arts & entertainment attorney with a fully packed bandolero of legal expertise. His firm Sound Advice, LLC is a go-to for a plethora of creative people and businesses of all kinds and he lectures regularly on topics like copyrights, trademarks, music and art law, non-profits, Internet law, licensing, and business creation widely at schools, arts organizations, and for many educational and community groups.

Ebullient, knowledgeable, and savvy, Shaver will tell it plainly: “Protecting yourself as an artist. . ..understanding copyrights and contracts. . .these are the facts of life in the art business.” He’ll take the “YER” out of Lawyer, demystify the arcane “Legalese” and point artists and creators toward the path of empowerment and sustainability.

An important step for every artist and creative professional is solidifying the nuts-and-bolts business end of showbiz—and that means becoming the master of your fate, the captain of your destiny (plus residuals).

So consider this your one-stop intro to art law, entertainment and music law, intellectual property, nonprofit organizations, publishing and contracts and even–gulp!–wills.

COMMUNITY ARTIST LAB—So Sue Me: Sound Advice from Peter Vaughan Shaver, Esq. takes place just prior to First Thursday, featuring the music of Leviethan Cecil. Coffee, tea, wine, or other tonic for your torpor available at the Armory Café.

The event is free and open to all. Call Tim DuRoche, Community Outreach Coordinator at 503-445-3794 or email timd@pcs.org to RSVP.