How to Navigate Online Resources for Art Exploration
“Late Night Cafe” by UGallery artist Jerry Salinas
For those of us with a healthy curiosity about all things art, we're always eager to consume information and stay up to speed about trending topics, for which the world wide web may be our single greatest repository. Given that the online universe is an endless wealth of information with more resources than ever before, the opportunities to learn and experience art online are at a premium, especially when you know where to look.
From classroom and museum activities to art history lessons and virtual gallery tours, there is no end to the possible options to explore visual culture. Considering the seemingly limitless choices, we've done some research to help narrow your search for engaging online content relating to the visual arts, broken down below by resource type.
Open Access Sites & Otherwise Viewable Online Art
Whether you're researching master painters or trying to distinguish between the neoclassical and renaissance periods, you can access an incredible inventory of great artworks online through open access sites. Unlike a majority of images that you will find in the greater internet macrocosm which are copyrighted and owner-protected, open access means that the images you are searching for are available to download for free. In most cases, usage can be for any purpose, commercial or non-commercial, with the guidelines typically spelled out on the host site.
"The Dance Class" by Edgar Degas, Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
The National Gallery of Art, for example, has a huge collection on display through its online repository of images. The gallery features over 50,000 downloadable images and the list is always growing. There is an impressive number of other art institutions that offer online repositories as well, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC, and the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles.
Apollo Magazine has put together a substantive list of open access image libraries if you want to explore your options further.
While we see great benefit in the options for open access, there are ample opportunities to experience amazing art for which use is restricted to viewing only. One example of viewable art that isn’t open access but is still very much worth an online visit is the newly updated online collection on display by the Louvre Museum.
Museum Tours
“Smithsonian Castle in Washington DC, Noon” by Suren Nersisyan
When access to cultural institutions was significantly restricted at the turn of the decade, many of the top museums in the world stepped up to ensure they were able to continue their mission of bringing art and history to the culture-hungry masses. This quick pivot toward greater online programming meant that tours of these world-class cultural gems be accessible at the simple click of a link.
The opportunities are plentiful, impressive, and nearly unlimited including art exhibitions, kids’ activities, and virtual walking tours, just to name a few. High-profile museums that opened their virtual doors to the public include the Guggenheim in New York and the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Seoul. Some such as the British Museum in London even offer tours via their mobile app.
While the in-person experience was certainly missed while sites were closed, the ability to peruse exhibitions and collections at the best museums and galleries free of charge was a welcome substitute for many folks who couldn't travel or for which the museums remained closed. Though public in-person access has once again been restored, many organizations dedicated to the arts have seen the value in these additional options and made the decision to keep these virtual experiences live. The result is a wonderful benefit extended to people who are home-ridden or otherwise unable to visit for reasons not associated with the pandemic.
While there's no way to highlight all of them, Travel and Leisure has compiled a more extensive list you might find helpful in determining how best to traverse the virtual museum options.
Podcasts
For those of us who stay pretty busy with work, family, errands, and other demands associated with adulting, podcasts are a great option for entertainment, news, and current affairs, as well as research and education. There is much to love about podcasts, such as the fact that there are thousands of them available at no cost, and there is great convenience in being able to listen while jogging on the treadmill, folding laundry, or driving to your next appointment. While you might think enhancing your knowledge about art would be compromised in an audio-only format, as a conduit for storytelling and information sharing, you may be surprised to find the medium strikingly consumable.
It's challenging to narrow the list to just a few, but podcasting options relating to art can be found under the topics of art history, current trends in art, and endless resources for both consumers and creators. We look forward to exploring this topic in future articles but found this helpful cheat sheet which ranks art podcasts based on web traffic, followers, and valuable content.
Documentaries
If podcasts have left you missing the visual elements of important topics relating to art, never fear. There is a plethora of great content in the form of streaming documentaries. From the history of the old masters, individual profiles of mesmerizing personalities, to tales of mystery and intrigue, there are a great many documentaries from which to choose, streaming on sites such as Netflix, prime video and a host of other applications.
We plan to dig in deeper to share some of our favorites in future blog posts, but Mashable has put together a compilation of docs that feature some of the more interesting character profiles of famous and infamous artists and art movements.
Art lessons
“The Kiss” by UGallery artist Faye Vander Veer
If you've ever considered taking an art class or are simply looking to expand your knowledge, don't overlook online classes for learning opportunities or to explore your own creative capabilities. Whether you're seeking hands-on instruction for painting with teachers who conduct an art lesson in real time or want to take a course in art history, doing so remotely via the internet can be a great option. Esteemed organizations such as Sotheby’s, the Smithsonian, and literally thousands upon thousands of educational institutions offer interactive activities and interesting coursework for students of the visual arts.
At UGallery we like to think of ourselves as a resource for your art needs from start to finish, and hope you have found this foray into online art experiences and opportunities helpful. If you’re in the market for original art, check out our website which is updated weekly with new works by talented artists.