Art and Design Resources
- Databases for Art and Design Research
- Art and Design Collections at the Smithsonian
- Art and Design Research Guides
- Art and Design Libraries at the Smithsonian
Welcome to the Smithsonian Libraries and Archives' resources for art and design. These resources were gathered to help students, teachers, and researchers explore resources at our libraries and beyond. Please feel free to Contact Us with suggestions for additional resources or with questions.
Databases for Art and Design Research
- Smithsonian Libraries and Archives offers staff and onsite visitors access to many Databases for Art and Design Research.
- A complete listing of Libraries and Archives' databases is located on our E-journals, E-books, and Databases page.
Art and Design Collections at the Smithsonian
Art and Design Research Guides
Explore freely available art and design resources compiled by subject experts within Smithsonian Libraries and Archives.
- African Art Research Guide: Explore resources related to the visual arts in Africa, including museums, art and artists, archeaology, textiles, and more.
- American Art and Portraiture Research Guide: General topics in American art, American history and biography, art appraisals, and more.
- Asian and Middle Eastern Art Research Guide: Explore resources related to visual arts in East Asian, South and Southeast Asian, and Islamic and Near Eastern Art.
- Book Dealers Specializing in African Art: Locate international book dealers specializing in African Art.
- Decorative Arts and Design Research Guide: Includes sources on international graphic, industrial, and interior design, as well as decorative arts and antiques.
- Modern African Art: A Basic Reading List: This reading list is an entry into the literature on modern African art.
- Modern and Contemporary Art Research Guide: Modern and contemporary art research resources.
- Monographs on African Artists: An Annotated Bibliography: An annotated bibliography on art historical scholarship of the life and history of individual African artists.
- Museums in the United States with Collections of African Art: A list of museums in the United States with collections of African art.
- Museums with Asian and Middle Eastern Art Collections: A list of museums national and international with collections of Asian and Middle Eastern Art.
Art and Design Libraries at the Smithsonian
Contact the subject librarians at our Art and Design Libraries for more details on resources and access to collections.
- American Art and Portrait Gallery Library: The leading destination for study in American art and portraiture, and includes strong holdings in American and European art, American history and biography, and American crafts.
- Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum Library: The major resource in the United States for books, trade catalogs, serials, pictures, and archival material covering design and decorative art from the Renaissance to the present.
- Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Library: One of the finest repositories of Asian art resources in the United States.
- Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden Library: A research collection devoted to modern and contemporary art with strengths in sculpture and small exhibition pamphlets.
- Smithsonian Libraries Research Annex: The most subject-diverse branch within the Smithsonian Libraries system, with extensive serials holdings as well as monographs, and many unique and specialized collections.
- Warren M. Robbins Library, National Museum of African Art: The major resource center in the United States for the research and study of the visual arts of Africa.
Additional information on fine, graphic, and decorative art can be found at many of the Smithsonian History and Culture Libraries.
Last Updated April 28, 2021
