Research Guides: Contemporary Art: Articles

Top Contemporary Art Databases

Use these databases to search for articles and essays on contemporary art and artists.

Art Full Text (now Art & Architecture Source)
Citations, abstracts, and selected full text for articles from international periodicals, peer-reviewed journals, and art dissertations. Also indexes art reproductions from indexed periodicals across styles and art movements.
Now Art & Architecture Source with access to more journals.
ARTbibliographies Modern
Abstracts of journal articles, books, essays, exhibition catalogs, dissertations, and exhibition reviews on all forms of modern and contemporary art.
Design and Applied Arts Index (DAAI)
International index to articles in hundreds of design and craft journals. Also contains data on designers, craftspeople, studios, schools, workshops, and firms.
Artforum Archive
An international monthly magazine covering contemporary art from 1962-2020. The archive contains feature articles, reviews, and interviews on artists, exhibitions, and publications.
Oxford Art Online
Integrated searchable access to Grove Art Online, The Oxford Companion to Western Art, Encyclopedia of Aesthetics, The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Art Terms, and more.
(Limited to 3 simultaneous users)
Art Index Retrospective
Electronic version of Art Index, volumes 1-32, indexing historical literature on a variety of art topics from the early twentieth century to 1984.
International Bibliography of Art
Successor to the Bibliography of the History of Art, covering European art since late antiquity, American art since the colonial era, and global art since 1945. Indexes international journals, monographs, exhibition catalogues, and more.
Avery Index to Architectural Periodicals
Citations for journal articles on architecture and design, covering subjects such as the history and practice of architecture, landscape architecture, city planning, historic preservation, and interior design.
JSTOR
Searchable backfiles of core journals in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences. (Backfiles end typically 3 - 6 years prior to the current date).

Criticism and Reviews of Contemporary Art & Design

In addition to art and design databases, try these newspaper and magazine databases
to find reviews or criticism about contemporary art and design.

Access World News
Also known as NewsBank, provides access to major national and international newspapers, local and regional titles, blogs, and more. Historical and current content, including the Richmond Times-Dispatch archive from 1903 to present.
Dow Jones Factiva
Comprehensive, full-text up-to-the-minute news and business source from Dow Jones and Reuters. Includes national, international, and regional newspapers, both current content and archives, periodicals, podcasts, newswires, and more.
Newspaper Source Plus
Full text for major national and international newspapers, including the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Times (London). Also includes full-text radio and television news transcripts.
New York Times via nytimes.com
Use this link to register for a free account. Important source of reporting information, and opinion on politics, finance, health, science, culture, the arts, sports, and fashion in the U.S. and abroad. See ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The New York Times with Index for issues back to 1851.
ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The New York Times with Index
Full image of articles published in The New York Times including illustrations and advertisements. Covers from the first issue in 1851 to three years prior to the current year.

Theses and Dissertations

Dissertations may be useful sources for researching the state of the field
and the bibliographies can often provide a wealth of new sources.

Dissertations and Theses Full Text (ProQuest)
Comprehensive and curated collection of dissertations and theses from universities around the world, with full-text availability for most titles.

Further Resources For Locating Dissertations

Contemporary Art

Contemporary Art Journals

Journal Title Search

Google Scholar

Top Contemporary Art Databases

Criticism and Reviews of Contemporary Art & Design

Theses and Dissertations