Art

Digitization is changing the world of fine and commercial art. For fine art two areas, in particular, have developed. The first is the proliferation of online museums and galleries, which contain the digitized representations of physical works of art. Some of these are the web presence of current "brick-and-mortar" museums, a few examples are listed below:

1. The Metropolitan Museum of Art: Collects, preserves, studies, and exhibits works of art which represent the greatest artisic achievements.
2. Art Institute of Chicago: Conserves, researches, publishs, and exhibits permanent and temporary collection of art of all kinds.
3. Art Museum Network: Extensive resource for art museums, provides a platform for sharing collections and exhibitions.

Some online galleries exist exclusively as a web presence, often serving as an avenue for artists to promote their artwork, without an dealer acting as the bridge between the artist and his or her patrons. Some of these are artist community portals, and some are created by individual artists.

1. Maude Durland: Watercolorist marketing her own work.
2. ArtQuest: Community portal for many types of art.
3. d'ART: Features a listing service, a web directory, and artist research forums.
4. Worldwide Arts Resources: Contains over 100,000 works of art.

The second area is that of "new media" art. It's creation and existence is in digital forms. This type of art doesn't begin life as a traditional painting or sculpture does - in a physical form. Digital media provides a canvas that has not existed in the past, and artists embrace this new medium in many creative ways.

1. Rhizome: Connecting art and technology, creating a platform for the global new media art community.
2. Digital Art Source: Digital Art resources and forums.
3. LA Freewaves: Exhibition of innovative and culturally relevant new media from around the world. One of the largest online archives and new media resources available.

The world of commerical art has changed dramatically as a result of digitization as well. Many illustrators promote their work through online portfolios. These portfolios may contain artwork that is created both digitally, and that which is created traditionally and scanned.

1. Aquent: Staffing agency for creative professionals. Provides an online portfolio service, contract and freelance job leads.
2. The i spot: Resources and online portfolios for commercial artists. Receives about 10,000,000 hits monthly and is considered the leading illustration site.
3. Childrens Illustrators: Online portfolios and resources for illustrators concentrating on the children's publishing market. •