The Red Dot takes its name from the small sticker that once marked slides in a physical archive, flagging them as worth a second look. We’re keeping that spirit alive here.
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.
The Red Dot © 2025 is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0
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When an artist’s creativity peaks
In a recent paper published in Creativity Research Journal, economist P. H. Franses (Erasmus School of Economics, The Netherlands) studied “189 highest-priced works by as many modern art painters, comparing the moment of creation with their life span of these artists.” He concluded that this comparison shows each artist’s “optimal point in their lives” is… Read more
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“Best of Both Worlds” explores institutional efforts for open content
The Smithsonian unveiled a new free e-book, Best of Both Worlds: Museums, Libraries, and Archives in a Digital Age, by G. Wayne Clough, the Smithsonian’s 12th Secretary. The book explores “how digital technologies will radically alter our existing institutions, make access to their embedded knowledge widely available, and enable learning and research anytime, anywhere” and… Read more
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Newly restored & digitized Catacombs of Priscilla
The Catacombs of Priscilla in Rome have been closed for a five-year restoration, but it was worth the wait. Most articles announcing the unveiling include a photo gallery/slide show showing details of the restoration. Better still: visit Catacombe di Priscilla in Google Maps, where you experience the site courtesy of Street View. The most discussed… Read more
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Harry Ransom Center’s Digital Image Collection
The Harry Ransom Center at The University of Texas at Austin has announced the launch of an expanded Online Digital Image Collection of selections from their holdings. The Harry Ransom Center has a significant digital presence — see what they offer by searching or browsing their finding aids. If your interested in or have questions… Read more
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Pacific Asia Museum now affiliated with USC
The Pacific Asia Museum in Pasadena has announced its new partnership with USC. From the news release: “The new partnership will preserve the museum’s 1924 Chinese Qing Dynasty-inspired mansion in downtown Pasadena as an art museum, and will enhance the scholarship of the creative faculty and students at USC’s six arts schools and those in… Read more
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CAMIO: OCLC’s Catalog of Art Museum Images Online
CAMIO® (Catalog of Art Museum Images Online, hosted by OCLC) is an online resource for images from a number of prominant museums. You can perform searches across the site or from only a selected number of institutions, or browse by institution or work type. Every work in CAMIO is represented by at least one high-resolution… Read more