LibGuides: Art: Open Educational Resources

Art

This is a collection of openly licensed or free textbooks and materials that can be used to enhance teaching and learning. This page highlights some of the Open Educational Resources (OER) available, but this is by no means an exhaustive list. If you would like to learn more about OER please visit the Open Educational Resources and Textbook Affordability Library Guide.

Art Textbooks

The Bright Continent: African Art History This book aims to act as your map through the world of African art. As such, it will help you define the competencies you need to develop–visual analysis, research, noting what information is critical, asking questions, and writing down your observations–and provide opportunities for you to practice these skills until you are proficient. It will also expose you to new art forms and the worlds that produced them, enriching your understanding and appreciation. This is an ongoing project. Your text will not be complete the day you first click on it, but will be written as we proceed through the course. Because it will be used for other courses beyond your own, you may find that it includes materials beyond those your class demands. Encourage your curiosity–chase after it.
Guide to Ancient Aegean Art This book contains all of Smarthistory’s content for the Ancient Aegean, including Cycladic, Minoan, and Mycenaean art.
Guide to Ancient Egyptian Art This book contains all of Smarthistory’s content for Ancient Egyptian art.
Guide to Ancient Etruscan Art This book contains all of Smarthistory’s content for the Ancient Etruscan art.
Guide to Ancient Greek Art This book contains all of Smarthistory’s content for Ancient Greek art.
Guide to Ancient Near Eastern Art This book contains all of Smarthistory’s content for Sumerian, Akkadian, Neo-Sumerian / Ur III, Babylonian, Assyrian and Persian art.
Guide to Ancient Roman Art This book contains all of Smarthistory’s content for the Ancient Roman art.
Guide to Byzantine Art The “Beginner’s guide” introduces foundational concepts, such as the chronology of Byzantine history, sacred imagery, and wearable objects. Subsequent sections are arranged chronologically, covering the Early Byzantine period (c. 330–700), the Iconoclastic Controversy (c. 700s–843), the Middle Byzantine period (843–1204), the Latin Empire (c. 1204–1261), and the Late Byzantine period (c. 1261–1453) and beyond.
Guide to Italian Art in the 1300s This book contains all of Smarthistory’s content for Italian art in the 1300s.
Guide to Italian Art in the 1400s This book contains all of Smarthistory’s content for Italian art in the 1400s.
Introduction to Art: Design, Context, and Meaning ntroduction 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 textbooks 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 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.
Lumen Learning - Art History I History of Art Survey course covering prehistoric art to the Italian Renaissance.
Open Textbook Library - Arts Search A list of art textbooks from the Open Textbook Library, a comprehensive referatory that points to open textbooks by a variety of authors and publishers.
Pressbooks Directory - Art Search A list of art textbooks from The Pressbooks Directory, a repository of online resources created using the Pressbooks Authoring and Editing software.
LibreTexts - Art Search A list of art textbooks on LibreCommons. LibreCommons hosts curated Open Educational Resources from all 14 LibreTexts libraries in one convenient location.

Art Resources

OER Commons - Art Search Search results for "art" on OER Commons, a public digital library of open educational resources.
EdX Courses - Art Set of open access art courses created by MIT and other institutes of higher learning.
OpenLearn - Art Produced by The Open University, a world leader in open and distance learning, all OpenLearn courses are free to study. They offer nearly 1000 free courses across 8 different subject areas. Their courses are available to start right away.
Coursera - Art Every course on Coursera is taught by top instructors from the world’s best universities and educational institutions. Courses include recorded video lectures, auto-graded and peer-reviewed assignments, and community discussion forums.
Future Learn - Art Explore film, music, journalism, photography or theatre. Join online art courses from renowned film schools, universities, cultural institutions. Learn from the experts in creative arts and media.
ArtLex - Art Dictionary ARTLEX is an art dictionary and encyclopedia founded in 1996.

Art Media

Digital Library: Art and Design Browse through the Smithsonian Libraries digital collections of images, books, and exhibits to find research tools.
Google Arts and Culture Explore collections from around the world with Google Arts & Culture, created by Google Cultural Institute.
The Guggenheim Museum Featuring over 1,700 artworks by more than 625 artists, the Collection Online presents a searchable database of selected artworks from the Guggenheim’s permanent collection of more than 7,000 artworks.
Metropolitan Museum of Art Image Gallery The Met presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world for everyone to experience and enjoy.
YouTube EDU - The Arts A collection of educational videos posted on YouTube.
Creative Commons - Art Selection of materials on or about anthropology curated by Creative Commons. All resources are free to use.
TEDEd - Art Created by Technology, Entertainment and Design or TED, this curated selection of videos covers a large number of subjects in Art.
CrashCourse - Art CrashCourse is an educational YouTube channel started by John and Hank Green in 2012. This curated YouTube search covers a number of topics related to art.