Brooklyn College Library Art Collection

The Brooklyn College Library created an online catalogue and audio tour of its world-class art collection. The online catalogue and online component of the audio tour can be viewed and heard at here. Professors Miriam Deutch and Jill Cirasella oversaw the project, which combined the talents and contributions of many members of the Brooklyn College Library faculty and staff. (For the full list of credits, visit the online catalogue.)

The Brooklyn College Library Art Collection includes paintings, drawings, sculptures, photography, and prints, and features works by Elizabeth Murray, William Kentridge, Chakaia Booker, Shahzia Sikander, Sarah Sze, John Walker, Edward Ruscha, and Xu Bing. Several of these artists live and work in Brooklyn's dynamic art community, and they are all internationally recognized, with works in major museums around the world. The collection also contains drawings and prints from prominent modern artists, including Alberto Giacometti, Kathe Kollwitz, Alexander Calder, Georges Braque, Robert Motherwell, and Chaim Gross.

Elizabeth Murray's 1996 painting Rescue is part of he BCL Art Collection.

Most of the collection was acquired just before the 2002 opening of the newly renovated and expanded Library. Many of the purchases were funded by New York City's "Percent for Art" law, which ensures that public spaces are graced with art. Numerous other works were acquired through gifts, and some works are on loan. One very special work, Olindo Mario Ricci's Famous Libraries of the World mural, was funded in 1936 by the Federal Arts Project.

The online catalogue is powered by homegrown software that dynamically generates the catalogue from easy-to-update item records. In addition to reproductions of the art works, the catalogue includes explanatory text, links to museum and gallery exhibitions, suggested readings and, for some works, audio versions of the explanations.

As part of the publicity campaign for the catalogue and audio tour, students have been invited to submit responses to any work of art in the Library, and a panel of judges will select a winner, who will be awarded $500. This award has been made possible through the generous support of Professor Archie Rand and Gallery Director Maria Rand.

Miriam Deutch and Jill Cirasella (Brooklyn College)