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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Artstor announces three major releases in material culture and Anthropology
Artstor has just released more than 170,000 new images in Anthropology from three major institutions: Réunion des Musées Nationaux and Art Resource are contributing nearly 1,400 images of works from the Musée du quai Branly-Jacques Chirac. The Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia has released approximately 75,000 images of art and cultural… Read more
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New Artstor resource: 36,000 images from the Center for Creative Photography
The Center for Creative Photography at the University of Arizona has contributed nearly 36,000 images to the Artstor Digital Library. The Center is recognized as one of the world’s finest academic art museums and study centers for the history of photography. The Center opened in 1975 with the archives of five living master photographers —… Read more
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British Library releases Leonardo da Vinci’s Codex Arundel online
Tthe British Library and Microsoft have partnered to make Leonardo da Vinci’s Notebook, known as The Codex Arundel, available online. There are two ways you can explore it: Turning the Pages: as it sounds, view the notebook by “turning” pages with your mouse, and read notes from the British Library as you go. Note: depending on your internet… Read more
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Save the Date – PST: LA/LA Free Day
Over 50 museums across southern California will offer free admission on Sunday, September 17, to celebrate the launch of Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA. Click here for a list of participating museums. Visit PST: LA/LA for the extensive event calendar and information on exhibitions. Read more
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John Margolies Roadside America Photograph Archive
The Library of Congress has digitized over 11,000 slides by architectural critic and curator John Margolies (1940-2016). Photographed over a span of forty years (1969-2008), Margolies’ Roadside America work chronicled a period of American history defined by the automobile and the ease of travel it allowed. The Archive is one of the most comprehensive documentary… Read more
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Five Cutting-Edge Innovations in Art History Tech
The Iris, the behind the scenes blog from The Getty, posted highlights from the recent SIGGRAPH Conference on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques in Los Angeles that they found relevant to the future of museums. They found, among the rigging demos and VR experiences, “real opportunities for advancements in programming and outreach for galleries, libraries,… Read more