The literature suggests art museum visitation is associated with reductions in ill-being outcomes and increases in well-being outcomes.
Art museums as institutions for human flourishing: The Journal of Positive Psychology
- Experiencing art is beneficial for our well-being.
- We often perceive art as confined to galleries or museums, possibly inaccessible due to distance, cost, or time constraints.
- Many never consider curating their own art collection, assuming it’s reserved for the wealthy.
- Digital copies of artwork, displayed on screens at home—existing or dedicated—offer an affordable way to introduce more art into our lives and improve well-being.
How to Get Digital Copies of Artworks
Download from Gallery Websites
- Downloading digital copies of artworks for personal, non-commercial use is often permissible under certain conditions, depending on copyright laws and specific circumstances.
- Some galleries and museums offer easy downloading with clear terms.
- If there’s no easy download link and the image is legal to download for personal use, you can usually right-click the image and select “Save image as”.
- Always check the source (e.g., gallery or museum website) for more information.
Search for Public Domain Artwork
- Artwork enters the public domain after a certain period (commonly about 70 years, varying by jurisdiction). Artists can also deliberately dedicate artworks to the public domain. Public domain works are free to use without restrictions.
- Many galleries and museums have dedicated sections for public domain artworks, including:
- Open Access – The Metropolitan Museum of Art – Around half a-million public domain artworks
- Discover Europe’s digital cultural heritage | Europeana – Over a million public domain artworks
- Artstor | JSTOR
- Smithsonian Open Access | Smithsonian Institution
- Public Domain – NYPL Digital Collections
- This list is not exhaustive; continue researching for more options.
Subscribe to An Art Streaming Service
- Art streaming services allow you to stream and display their collections.
- Some art streaming services include:
- Art streaming services are often bundled with dedicated digital art frames and Art TVs.
How to Display Digital Copies of Artwork at Your Home
Use Your Existing Screens, For Free
- Display your curated digital artwork collection as backgrounds or slideshows on your existing screens (smartphone, tablet, computer, or TV).
- You can set your artwork collection as your device’s wallpaper, screensaver or lock screen.
- While the instructions vary, this is how to set custom backgrounds or slideshows on popular platforms:
- Most platforms allow setting custom backgrounds. Research specific instructions for your devices.
Use Dedicated Digital Art Frames or an Art TV
- Digital art frames and art TVs are devices dedicated to displaying artworks. They differ from regular screens in several ways:
- Specialized display technologies mimicking physical artwork
- Larger sizes and varied aspect ratios
- Higher resolution displays (up to 4K)
- Enhanced color accuracy
- Wall-mounting designs with customizable bezels
- Built-in art libraries and subscription services
- Power-saving features (e.g., motion sensors)
- Specialized software for managing art collections
- Many dedicated art displays come bundled with an art stream subscription.
- Collecting and curating art and introducing it into your home can enhance your well-being.
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