Books - ART 242 - Researching Contemporary Artists - Research Guides at Hope College

Hope Primo

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Searching Tips

Searching your artist's name as a keyword (ex. "Cindy Sherman") will bring back any mention of his or her name in a title, as author, or in the table of contents or notes. If the results are too extensive and you want to narrow down just to books focused on them, or their exhibition catalogs, search their name as a Subject search in Advanced Search
Remember that the most recent, or less well known artists will not likely have a whole book dedicated to them. Try browsing for them in anthologies of African American Art or Contemporary Art generally or in a particular medium or look for articles on them.
If you click on one of the subject headings links in a record, it will bring up a list of similar subjects that might also be helpful.

For more obscure contemporary artist exhibition guides, you will likely have to locate materials outside of Hope's Libraries.

Michigan eLibrary (including MeLCat) This link opens in a new window
Allows us to order print materials from other libraries around the state, including Kendall College of Art and Design. Easiest way is to jump over from a Primo search to one in MeLCat
WorldCat This link opens in a new window
this catalog searching for materials throughout the United States. You can do similar keyword, subject and authors searches here as in Primo. Use the "Request Item through InterLibrary Loan" link to order these materials. Keep in mind that the more "Libraries Worldwide" that have a title, the easier it will be for us to order it (ie, we might not be able to get something if only 3 or 4 libraries own it).