Named after the small red sticker that once guided scholars through legacy 35mm slides, The Red Dot is here to help you navigate the ever-evolving landscape of visual and material research. While rooted in the University of California, Santa Barbara community, our posts are open to all.
At MIRL, we engage with art history, digital humanities, and material culture through hands-on research and archival projects. Guided by our core principles—critical engagement with visual and material culture, ethical stewardship of images and data, and innovative approaches to research and pedagogy—we work at the intersection of technology and the humanities. We are especially interested in how digital tools can expand the study of images, objects, and spaces.
Here, we’ll share insights on Digital Art History and Architectural History, highlight new image and data resources, discuss copyright and ethical considerations, and spotlight events that shape our field.
The Red Dot © 2025 is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0
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Upcoming workshops on Using Image Resources
Two one-hour overviews on using image resources available at UCSB are scheduled over the next week. They will include a demonstration of the VRC image database (MDID), ARTstor and the OIV, instructions on how to set up accounts, new material in both resources, and other tips. The sessions are intended for graduate students but are… Read more
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Rose Art Museum and Brandeis University, continued
In May, we mentioned on our blog that Brandeis University had closed the Rose Art Museum and was threatening to sell off its collection. Well, good news has prevailed: the Boston Globe reports this week that a Brandeis University committee report recommends the Rose remain open and “directs the university to better integrate the museum… Read more
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Important Anglo-Saxon gold hoard found
The largest hoard of gold found in England, approximately 1,500 pieces, was recently discovered on a farm in Staffordshire by a man with a metal detector. The pieces are in excellent condition, and many are heavily decorated and inscribed. Read the article on the BBC website which includes slideshows and video, or visit The Staffordshire… Read more
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Sat., Sept. 26 is Free Museum Day
This Saturday museums all over the country are opening their doors to visitors for FREE! This opportunity sponsored by Smithsonian Magazine is a great chance to visit museums you’ve always wanted to see. Some of the participating museums in the Los Angeles area include The Craft and Folk Art Museum, The Skirball Cultural Center, The… Read more
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More ARTstor collection additions and agreements
To welcome you to another academic year, ARTstor has added these images to their Digital Library: Shuilu’an Temple (Northwestern University Academic and Research Technologies): 20 views, including 7 Quick Time Virtual Reality (QTVR) panoramas, documenting Buddhist sculpture at Shuilu’an Temple in Lantian, Shaanxi Province, China (keyword search: “shuilu’an temple” or shuilu’an qtvr) La Gazette du… Read more
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The Richard Ross Photography Collection now available
It is with great pleasure that we unveil the first hosted collection in MDID, the Richard Ross collection. This is set up as a separate collection within our VRC image database, and so far contains the photographs from three of Ross’ publications: Museology (1989), Gathering Light (2000), and Architecture of Authority (2007). Select Browse to… Read more