AFELL was founded in 2019 by Tracy Bartley and Chelsea Spengemann. As leaders of the R.B. Kitaj Estate and the Stan VanDerBeek Archive, respectively, Tracy and Chelsea recognized an urgent need for building an accessible network of artist legacy workers who could share resources. As of 2024, AFELL has over 300 members spanning representatives from large artist endowed foundations to individuals managing estates on their own and more recently, artists at all stages of their careers actively planning for their work’s long term care. Participants are mostly located across the United States and there are some international members. The range of collective expertise made accessible through the cooperative spirit in which the group was formed means that people generously share information and also benefit from the exchange. Members are asked to host quarterly zoom sessions on topics in which they are experienced. The intimate gatherings provide another space for learning, exchange and camaraderie.

In response to the growth of the group, in Fall 2024, after surveying the membership, the decision was made to house the program under the management of Soft Network.