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Studio research is not like writing a paper. In a critique you have to show where an idea came from, what has been done before, and why your version is different. This guide is for fine art, graphic design, industrial design, apparel and textile design and interior design students in the Applied Arts Building. It covers both the written research (artist statements, art history papers, design briefs) and the visual research (precedent, images, materials).
Begin with images and objects, then find the writing about them. A designer, a movement or a material is usually a better search term than a concept.
Databases and indexes
| Database | Use it for |
|---|---|
| Art & Design Literature Index | Journals, exhibition reviews and dissertations on art, architecture, craft and design, 1929 to now |
| Halvorsen Images | About 210,000 high-resolution images licensed for coursework, presentations and portfolios (not for publication) |
| Exhibition Catalogs Online | Full-text catalogs from museum and gallery exhibitions, many not otherwise in print |
| Design Trade Periodicals | Graphic, product, interior and fashion trade magazines, including annuals and award books |
| Typeface Specimen Archive | Historical and contemporary type specimens with foundry and licensing notes, for GRDS 1300 |
Books and e-books
| Call numbers | Subject |
|---|---|
| N 1–9211 | Visual arts, art history, artists |
| NC 1–1940 | Drawing, illustration, graphic design |
| ND 25–3416 | Painting |
| NE, NB | Printmaking; sculpture |
| NK 1–9990 | Decorative arts, interior design, textiles |
| TS 171–171.9 | Industrial and product design |
| TT 490–695 | Clothing, fashion, sewing |
| Z 250–254 | Typography |
Oversize art books (the ones with the good plates) are shelved separately at the end of the N range on Level 2, marked “Folio.” Studio students have argued for years that they should be filed with everything else. They stay where they are, because the regular shelves are not deep enough.
Specialized sources
- Furlong Gallery files. Exhibition files, artist correspondence and installation photographs from the Furlong Gallery, available through the gallery and collections office. See also this year’s exhibitions.
- Millrace Woolen Mill sample books. Ninety fabric sample books (blankets, mackinaw cloth, uniform wool) from the Millrace Woolen Mill collection. Apparel and textile students can request them in the Special Collections reading room. Bring photos, not scissors.
- Artists’ books and zines. About 900 in Special Collections, including every zine made in ART 2700 since 2011.
- Material samples. The Level 2 materials library has swatches of laminates, textiles, plastics and finishes for interior and industrial design.
Citing and getting help
Cite an image with the artist or designer, the title, the date, the medium, the owning collection and where you found it. A search engine results page is not a collection. Art history papers use notes and a bibliography. Design courses usually accept author–date. Whether you can use someone else’s image in a portfolio or in your own work is a separate question, and it is covered in copyright for student work.
Noemi Castellano is the arts and humanities librarian. She holds hours in the Applied Arts Building lounge on Mondays from 1 to 3 p.m. and books consultations in Halvorsen 254 or online. She also covers history and local history, so she is the person to ask about anything old. See also finding evidence in design.
Fictional information
UW–Porter Falls is a work of parody. This art and design guide is fictional; the image database, zine collection, materials library and Millrace Woolen Mill sample books are invented. The databases, call-number shelving, collections and librarians on this guide are invented, so nothing here can actually be searched, borrowed or booked, and none of it describes a real library.