LibGuides: Art & Design: Home

The Starting Point: General Databases

Use these databases as a starting point for your research. Their holdings are broad, which means many topics can be found in these databases.

EBSCOHost ebooks This link opens in a new window
An eBook can provide a well-rounded foundation on which to build your search strategy, including terms that may help you search for articles. Check here before searching for articles.
CQ Researcher This link opens in a new window
Get in-depth, non-biased reports on today's important issues. Each lengthy report covers a single topic, and includes a bibliography.
Library Search This link opens in a new window
Search nearly all the databases, journals, ebooks and resources that the library provides. Millions of scholarly articles, trade publications, popular magazine, books, book chapters, video clips, conference proceedings, theses and dissertations are represented in Library Search.

Finding Research on Art

Art & Architecture Source This link opens in a new window
Includes thousands of images and full-text articles from an array of journals, books and more. International in scope, Art Source includes periodicals published in English, French, Italian, German, Spanish and Dutch and is designed for use by a diverse audience, including art scholars, artists, designers, students and general researchers. Includes full text from 630+ journals; 220+ books; and 63,000+ images.
Learn more about this resource.

Finding Images & Primary Sources

ARTstor This link opens in a new window
Hundreds of thousands of images from art, archaeology, architecture, and history.
Archives of American Art This link opens in a new window
Primary sources documenting American culture for the past 200+ years. Image gallery contains over 8,000 photographs, letters, sketches, diaries, and other documents which have been scanned and individually described.

Life Magazine via Google Books
Full-text access to LIFE from 1935 - 1970. Includes images, text, and advertisements. Search by keyword or browse individual issues.

Library of Congress Digital Collections This link opens in a new window
Free and open access to written and spoken words, sound recordings, still and moving images, prints, maps, and sheet music that document the American experience (from the Library of Congress and other institutions).

Exhibition Catalogues

MetPublications
Online access to 600 exhibition catalogues from the Metropolitan Museum of Art (1964 - Current).
Guggenheim Archives
Online access to selected exhibition catalogues from the Guggenheim New York archives (1936 - 1999).
MoMA Exhibition Catalogues
Online access to exhibition catalogs from 1929 - Present. Click "download free sample" to see a generous preview of the content.
George Mason University Center for History and New Media (CHNM)
CHNM uses digital media and technology to preserve and present history online, transform scholarship across the humanities, and advance historical education and understanding.

Encyclopedias of Art

Grove Encyclopedia of Classical Art & Architecture ( Oxford ) This link opens in a new window
1100+ entries on the visual arts of the Classical period.In-depth articles, biographies, thematic entries on architecture, ceramics, metalwork, mosaics, painting and sculpture.
Grove Encyclopedia of Decorative Arts ( Oxford ) This link opens in a new window
Covers thousands of years of decorative arts production throughout western and non-western cultures (qualities and historical uses of materials, concise definitions on art forms and styles, and in-depth articles discussing the history of armor, jewelry, furniture, textiles, and ceramics).
Grove Encyclopedia of Materials and Techniques in Art ( Oxford ) This link opens in a new window
Historical and current uses of materials and techniques in painting, sculpture, non-traditional media such as digital and video art, and more.

Subject Librarian

Kim Auger

she/her

Email Me

Contact:

717.871.7099

Subjects: Art & Design, Communication, Entertainment Technology, Theatre, Women's and Gender Studies

OER Books on Art

What are OER?

Open educational resources (OER) are "teaching, learning and research materials in any medium, digital or otherwise, that reside in the public domain or have been released under an open license that permits no-cost access, use, adaptation and redistribution by others with no or limited restrictions." - UNESCO

Introduction to Art: Design, Context, and Meaning
Editor in Chief: Pamela J. Sachant, Ph.D.
Introduction to Art: Design, Context, and Meaning offers a comprehensive introduction to the world of Art. Authored by four USG faculty members with advance degrees in the arts, this textbook offers up-to-date original scholarship. It includes over 400 high-quality images illustrating the history of art, its technical applications, and its many uses. Combining the best elements of both a traditional textbook and a reader, it introduces such issues in art as its meaning and purpose; its structure, material, and form; and its diverse effects on our lives. Its digital nature allows students to follow links to applicable sources and videos, expanding the students’ educational experiences beyond the textbook. Introduction to Art: Design, Context, and Meaning provides a new and free alternative to traditional textbooks, making it an invaluable resource in our modern age of technology and advancement.
Introduction To Art
Author: Muffet Jones
This text is an introduction to visual culture. According to the introduction, it is “intended to make you more visually sensitive to the world around you and to begin to understand your own aesthetic tastes and to seek out things that give you visual pleasure.”
The Path to Funding:The Artist’s Guide to Building Your Audience, Generating Income, and Realizing Career Sustainability
this book breaks down the process of developing an artist mission statement, generating new ideas for creative projects, and creating an engaging project description. It also covers methods for artists to identify their audience, generate a comprehensive project budget, collect compelling work samples, and identify potential funders to support their creative work. Written by a team of active artists and educators, this resource provides creatives with tools and strategies to communicate passionately and effectively about their work and take control of their financial and artistic future.