Research Guides: Free Art, Design, and Museum Resources: Free Art, Design, & Museum Resources

Introduction

Using These Resources

This guide is a collection of free, practical tools for anyone with an interest in art, graphic design, or museology - whether you want to examine a famous artwork up-close, or just need some images for your big presentation! The resources on this page have been created and generously shared by artists and workers who want to empower others to access and create work without financial barriers. Please respect the wishes of those who share their content, and cite and attribute works to them as specified on their website. Think critically about how you use images of people to illustrate your own work or narratives, and adhere to ethical guidelines when they are presented to you.

Common Copyright Terms

Public Domain - these refer to works with no individual intellectual property or ownership laws. These may be in the Public Domain for reasons including the expiration of previous coverage by copyright laws, or because copyright laws do not apply to a particular work.
Creative Commons - Creative Commons licenses allow you to share your work and make it freely accessible, while still allowing you to maintain restrictions around what the work is used for or how you are credited. There are a variety of Creative Commons license types.
- Creative Commons Zero - these are Public Domain works where the creator of the work has purposefully given away their private rights and dedicated the work to the Public Domain.
Copyleft - Copyleft licenses allow every user of a product (e.g., GIMP software) to freely change or redistribute that product, on the condition that the newly shared product is also able to be freely changed or redistributed.
Open - broadly speaking, content which can be freely accessed, remixed, and shared.
Open Access - an international movement advocating for scholarly research to be made freely available online, and without most copyright restrictions. Watch this video for more.
Open Source - content which can be freely shared and modified, and which also adheres to a specific set of ten principles.

For more in-depth advice on copyright, contact any of our Copyright Specialists.

Graphic Design Resources

Graphic Design Tools

The resources listed below are suitable for download and use on your own personal computers. Gleeson Library also has a range of computers you can use, as well as iPads and laptops available for checkout. The Reference Lab on the first floor of Gleeson Library includes iMac computers with iMovie 10, iPhoto 9, and GarageBand 10 available for use. Adobe Creative Suite software is available in the GL220 iMac Lab on the second floor. These can be used on a walk-up basis when the iMac Lab is not reserved for classes.

USF Students can also acquire a free license for Microsoft products including Microsoft Office 365 and Visio through the ITS eStore; as well as use other computer labs on campus.

Canva
Cloud-based graphic design software which includes Free, Pro, and Enterprise pricing plans.
DaFont
A repository of fonts which you can browse by theme (e.g. Basic, Script, Holiday) and download. Many fonts are in the Public Domain, or free for personal use.
The Noun Project
A repository of icons which free to download and use under a Creative Commons license or Public Domain. Icon creators receive royalties from The Noun Project every time their work is downloaded.
GIMP
GIMP - the GNU Image Manipulation Program - is a photo manipulation and illustration program which is free to download and use under a Copyleft license.

Inclusive Stock Photos

Joyful and authentic representation is important. Here, find a selection of high-resolution, non-tokenizing photos of people from different cultures and communities, depicted in their everyday lives.

#WOCinTech
Archive of photos from the WOCinTech project - free and available for use under a Creative Commons Attribution license.
Black Illustrations
Illustrations portraying Black people in their everyday lives - free to use for creating graphics, presentations, or other content.
Body Liberation Stock Photos
High-resolution photos of plus-size and disabled people in their everyday lives. Photos available for purchase through a range of pricing plans.
CreateHER Stock
Stock images of women of colour, created by women of colour. Available through a variety of pricing plans, including a Freebie Collection.
Disabled and Here
Free, high-resolution photos of disabled people of color.
The Gender Spectrum Collection
A comprehensive collection produced by Broadly and VICE media, for free use through a Creative Commons license. Includes a guide to ethical usage.
nappy
High-resolution photos of people of colour, made available for free through a Creative Commons Zero license.
Pexels
A collection of high-resolution, free photos and videos, on a variety of subjects.
Pixabay
A community-sourced collection of free photos and videos on a variety of subjects. Images may be used for commercial and non-commercial use, with some exceptions.
TONL
Beautiful, modern stock photos created to tell stories of people all over the world. Photos available through a range of pricing plans, including some free photos.
Unsplash
Free, high-resolution images, depicting a variety of subjects. All images are available for commercial and non-commercial use, including modification.

Digital Museum Collections

High Resolution Art Images

These are just some of the art and cultural institutions worldwide which are moving towards making their digital collections available for use online. Examine the details of a favourite artwork, or download media for use in your own scholarly work, presentations, or artistic enjoyment. Licensing restrictions vary from one institution or image to another, so please be mindful of terms of use.

Belvedere
A range of art spanning from the Middle Ages to the 21st century. Images can be filtered to the "Belvedere Open Content Program", and downloaded without copyright restriction.
The Art Institute of Chicago
The second largest art museum in the United States, the Art Institute of Chicago features over 50,000 images available through Creative Commons Zero licensing. Search results can be filtered to show Public Domain items.
The Cleveland Museum of Art
Over 30,000 public domain works, including data and 3D models. Images are labelled with copyright and licensing information, including Creative Commons Zero.
Harvard Art Museums
Over 200,000 images from the combined collections of the Fogg Museum, Busch-Reisinger Museum, and Arthur M. Sackler Museum. Images available for personal, non-commercial use will include a "download" icon and credit line.
J. Paul Getty Museum
Over 100,000 images from the J. Paul Getty Museum and the Getty Research Institute. Find open access images by limiting search results to "Open Content Program".
Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Online Catalog (PPOC)
Millions of images from the national archives, available for download in JPEG and TIFF format. Each record also lists a "rights advisory" that may vary from one item to another.
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Over 20,000 public domain images which can be downloaded without use restrictions. Website features a "show public domain images only" search filter.
Mauritshuis, The Hague
Works primarily by Dutch and Flemish Masters, which are all available to download and reuse for scholarly and commercial purposes. Please credit images as 'Mauritshuis, The Hague'; and consider submitting your finished product to The Hague for inclusion in their collections.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
The largest art museum in the United States, The Met shares over 400,000 high-resolution images available for download through Public Domain. Digital collections can be filtered to show Open Access works.
Minneapolis Institute of Art
Over 50,000 public domain images of works representing a vast range of cultures and artistic media.
Munch Museet
Over 20,000 images spanning a range of artforms, available for download under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
The New York Public Library Digital Collections
Over 800,000 items available for view and download, including over 200,000 items available for use within the Public Domain.
Paris Musées
Over 150,000 high-resolution works from the museum collections of the City of Paris, freely available under Creative Commons Zero.
Smithsonian Open Access
Over three million 2D and 3D objects and datasets in the public domain under a Creative Commons Zero license. Collections span over 19 museums, nine research centres, libraries, archives, and the National Zoo.
Te Papa Tongarewa - Museum of New Zealand
Over 60,000 images available for download under Creative Commons licensing. Collections span Aotearoa (New Zealand) culture, including natural history, Māori and Pasifika taonga, and contemporary art. Search function includes "with downloadable images" filter.
Yale University Art Gallery
A large collection of modern, contemporary, and global cultural art and objects. Images either in the public domain or available for use will include download links.

Free Museum Tickets

Learning Beyond the Classroom

The institutions and programs below ordinarily offer free or reduced-fee admission to museums, galleries, and exhibitions around the city. While the COVID-19 pandemic continues, these institutions may be closed or operating under reduced access. If so, take a look at their websites to see what virtual exhibits are on offer.

SFPL Discover & Go
The Discover & Go Program allows members of the San Francisco Public Library to sign up for free and reduced-cost tickets to participating museums and cultural institutions within the San Francisco Bay Area.
OPL Discover & Go
The Discover & Go Program allows members of the Oakland Public Library to sign up for free and reduced-cost tickets to participating museums and cultural institutions within the East Bay area.
Museum Day
A national initiative, Museum Day provides free admission for two people to the applicable museum of their choice when they register online.
This year, Museum Day is Saturday, April 4, 2020.
Asian Art Museum
Free on the first Sunday of every month.
Cartoon Art Museum
The first Tuesday of every month is Pay What You Wish Day.
Contemporary Jewish Museum
Free on the first Tuesday of the month.
De Young Museum
Multiple free or reduced admission options, including free admission on Saturdays for residents of the nine Bay Area counties, and free admission for all on the first Tuesday of every month.
International Art Museum of America
Admission is free, everyday.
Legion of Honor
Multiple free or reduced admission options, including free admission on Saturdays for residents of the nine Bay Area counties, and free admission for all on the first Tuesday of every month.
Thacher Gallery
Located within the Gleeson Library | Geschke Center, Thacher Gallery showcases a variety of artists, with a focus on the Bay Area. Exhibitions are curated in collaboration with Museum Studies and Art students. USF also boasts the Rooftop Sculpture Terrace, and a number of free programmes which are open to the public.