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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Test your knowledge: NASA or MOMA?
The Atlantic has posted 20 photos, some of paintings in the Museum of Modern Art, NY, and some taken from the International Space Station by photographer Chris Hadfield. See if you can figure out which is which (the answers are at the bottom). Read more
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A good reason to go to garage sales
You could find yourself $2.2 million richer. A family in New York just sold a bowl through auction at Sotheby’s for that amount. They bought the bowl at a garage sale in 2007 for $3. Yes, $3. Turns out it was rare “Ding ware” from the Song Dynasty, approximately 1,000 years old. So, keep your… Read more
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LACMA website now offers downloadable images
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art has retooled their online collection to include nearly 20,000 high-resolution images of artworks it “believes to be in the public domain”. Those images known to be otherwise protected by copyright and other intellectual property rights must be requested. For more information on using of LACMA’s digital images, consult… Read more
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NYT Review of The Artful Recluse
Previously at The Santa Barbara Museum of Art and currently at the Asia Society and Museum in New York, The Artful Recluse showcases almost 60 paintings from an era of unrivaled historical drama and artistic achievement in China that spans from the late Ming (ca. 1600–1644) and the early Qing dynasties (1644–ca.1700). The show, co-curated… Read more
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LACMA offers to absorb MOCA
The LA Times reports that the Los Angeles County Museum of Art has put in an offer to take over both branches of the financially-struggling Museum of Contemporary Art. The offer letter, from LACMA Director Michael Govan and the two board co-chairs, was dated February 24 and in response to MOCA’s initial request for a… Read more
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In case you miss 35mm slides and projectors
you can now (sort of ) replicate the experience of slides, carousels and projectors – AND carry it in your pocket. There’s a daft new product called Projecteo! that projects Instagram photos (which have been transferred to a film reel). Get in on the ground floor of investment with this amazing technology now! (This itty… Read more