Art Museum
Key Terms Used in A.R.T. (Art Reference Terminal)

Acquisitions

The terms below are used to organize information in the Ball State University Museum of Art's A.R.T. (Art Reference Terminal) database.

Summary Record: The summary record is a brief list of the basic information concerning a work of art. The BSU#, also known as the accession number, refers to the inventory number currently assigned to the object by the museum. These numbers can be found on the object label beside each work on view in the galleries and can be used in a search to find that specific work on the Web site.

Along with the BSU#, the summary record lists other categories of information such as the artist or contributor, cultural or national identity, role, title, date of the object, category, credit line, and style, culture, or context, all of which can be found in more detail on the sidebar.

Artist or Contributor: Refers to the name of the person or company responsible for the design or creation of the object. Printers and publishers are also considered contributors to the work. This includes information about the contributor such as:

  • Role: the role of the contributor (artist, publisher, etc.)
  • Language: the language in which the title of the object appears
  • Nationality: the recognized nationality of the artist, not necessarily his/her birthplace
  • Birth Date/Birth Place: where and when the artist was born
  • Death Date/Death Place: where and when the artist died
  • Century: the century or centuries in which the artist was working
  • Detail: any other detailed information pertaining to the artist

Title(s): Gives information about the title of the object such as:

  • Title Type: either descriptive or the original title given by the artist
  • Text: any additional information pertaining to the title
  • Language: the language in which the title appears

Date(s): Depending on the type of object, this category describes the date the work was created. Different listings include executed, published, signed by the artist, cast, designed, etc. "Circa" means about or approximately.

Edition/State/Etc.: The edition number and/or the state of a multiple.

Medium and Size: Refers to the composition materials of the object. The specific medium gives more detail about the material. Support refers to any material that coincides with the work of art. Also included in this category are the exact dimensions of the object.

Marks/Inscriptions: Refers to any marks or inscriptions on the object. There is a description of the mark, and information is given about whether or not the mark was made by the original artist or if it was made during the same century the work was made.

Credit Line(s): Determines if the work is a gift or a purchase. If it is a gift, information about the donor is given.

Condition: Describes the condition of the work and whether or not restoration is needed.

Provenance: Describes who has owned the work.

Exhibition(s): Details any exhibition in which the object has appeared.

References and Remarks: Lists any reference materials pertaining to the object or any specific remarks made about the object.

Related Works: Lists any related works of art, including works at Ball State University or non-Ball State works.

Style, Culture, or Context: A discussion of the style, era, or culture to which the work is assigned.

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