The East End's summer art calendar reaches well past the seasonal sales circuit, a reminder that this stretch of coastline has always been shaped as much by its artists as by its wealth.
The Mapplethorpe Foundation earns a quarter of a million dollars annually from merchandising and licensing, and another $200,000-$250,000 per year in exhibition fees, as museums borrowing prints from the foundation pay $1,000 per image.
According to a study conducted by Licensing International, global retail sales of licensed merchandise for art properties reached $3.95 billion in 2024.