ARTstor is a database that allows you to access and curate high-quality images. ARTstor contains over a million images drawn from museums, artists, libraries, and archives from around the world. All DU faculty, staff, and students can access ARTstor for free with their DU credentials. 

Searching and Browsing

ARTstor allows you to search multiple collections simultaneously. You can type in the title of a work, the name of an artist, a genre of art, a country, or any number of subjects, into the search bar.

Arrow pointing to search bar in ARTstor Homepage

ARTstor users can browse a variety of collections; these vary from institutional collections, like DU’s School of Art and Art History, to collections from museums and archives.  

Curating Images

You can organize works from ARTstor’s trove of images into specific “groups” 

Arrow pointing to Add to group button on ARTstor website

 

as well as creating a “personal collection” with works that you upload from your computer. 

Arrow pointing to Upload button under Personal Collections area

 

Once images are in a group, you can export them to a PowerPoint or as a .zip file.  

Arrow pointing to Export button in ARTstor with options for PowerPoint and ZIP file

Other Features

 “Present” mode makes it possible to show images in fullscreen and compare images side-by-side from the same group.  

Arrow pointing to Compare link with two images side by side in ARTstor

The “Quiz mode” feature removes the artist information and could be useful as a study aid for students or a way to assess students’ retention of information about an image. 

Using ARTstor with Canvas

ARTstor isn’t yet integrated directly into Canvas’s rich content editor. However, you have the option to download any ARTstor image to your computer; you can then embed that image in a Canvas page by clicking on the “image” button and uploading the image from your computer. 

Arrow pointing to images icon in Canvas text editor bar

Or, if you want students to use the ARTstor interface, copy the url from the work or the group you want to share. Then, using the “insert link” button on the rich content editor in Canvas, select “external link” and paste in the url address. 

Arrow pointing to link icon in Canvas text editor toolbar

Contact DU Libraries at du-artstorhelp-g@du.edu for questions about using ARTstor at DU. And to consult with an Instructional Designer about how to integrate ARTstor into your pedagogy, feel free to reach out to the Instructional Design team here at the OTL.