While you may assume that because an artwork is in our collection, that we have ownership of it and can use the image as we see fit, this is incorrect. Artists still maintain copyright of their work and we must seek permission to use it. As a result, copyright is a huge factor in everything we do online. Some artists have given us permission to use their images for educational or promotional purposes, others have given us full permission, while in other cases we have gained full permission as the copyright has expired (as it does 50 years from the death of an artist.)
Our collection has recently been digitized (meaning it has been carefully photographed and recorded digitally) and is now available to be searched online, yet not all images have been cleared to be published online. As a result, it is an ongoing project for us to obtain permission to use works of art in our online directory and in projects such as Community Curates. It is our hope that someday the majority of our collection will be approved for viewing online so that a more comprehensive view of our holdings is easily accessible for all.
In selecting works for Community Curates, we are limited to using works that we do hold copyright to. Here are five more works for you two choose from. With just one week left, week 10, we’re nearing completion of the project. We’re very excited to debut the results in the coming weeks.
Community Curates Week 9
1. Michael Behnan (Canadian, b. Pakistan, 1947 – 1982)
Spadina and Dundas 1974
ink on paper
Gift of the artist, 1975
2. Charles E. Heil (American, 1870 – 1953)
Haystack at Bourg-la-Reine 1896
watercolour and graphite on paper
Gift of the heirs of the Hortense Gordon estate, 1976
3. Lynda Hayward (Canadian, b. 1941)
Weedscape I 1977
photo-serigraph monotype on paper
Purchase, 1977
4. Susan Low-Beer (Canadian, b.1943)
Untitled 1993
watercolour and graphite on paper
Gift of the artist, 1994
5. Michael Snow (Canadian, b. 1929)
Carla Bley 1965
photolithography and relief printing on paper
Purchase, 1970