Image Use & Open Access
Krannert Art Museum (KAM) is a component unit of the University of Illinois System that is regulated by the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. KAM is subject to all of the notices and policies created for the University of Illinois System and all applicable laws.
Not every work of art in the KAM collection is in the public domain, nor is every image on the museum’s site free of restrictions. The images and artwork records referred to in this document are those available to be viewed online via Explore the Collection.
Artwork and other content falls within two categories:
(1) Open Access: works in the collection identified as being free of known restrictions under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights, not just public domain.
(2) Protected Content: works protected by copyright or other restrictions, whether or not they are in the public domain, or where copyright status is not yet known may be subject to other restrictions as well, including rights of privacy and publicity, under applicable law.
KAM encourages engagement with the contents of our collection. Depending on copyright status in the works of art depicted online, users may use, download, and share images from the online collection either freely without restrictions or with some restrictions, according to the above definitions.
Open Access artworks can be viewed and saved in high resolution, while Protected Content works are available to view at a smaller size. To request an image not available on the website or a higher-resolution version of an existing image (especially Protected Content), please use the Image Request Form or email kam-collections@illinois.edu.
We continue to add high resolution Open Access and public domain images regularly. Check back with us and explore.
Policy Details
Users may download—free of charge and without seeking authorization from KAM—any image of a work in the permanent collection that KAM believes is in the public domain and is free of other known restrictions. Those works will be identified as Open Access.
If an image of an artwork is not currently labeled Open Access, it is typically for one or more of the following reasons:
- the work is still under copyright, or the copyright status is unclear
- privacy or publicity issues exist
- the work is not fully owned by the museum
- contractual restrictions specified by the artist or donor preclude open access
- KAM has not yet produced a quality digital image of the work
To request an image of a work that is not currently online, is under copyright, or to request digital files in sizes or formats beyond those offered through the website, you may submit a request by completing our online Image Request Form or email kam-collections@illinois.edu.
Notes for Users
While KAM believes Open Access images to be in the public domain, the museum can only give permissions with respect to its own rights and makes no representations or warranties that use of these images will not violate rights that persons or entities other than KAM may have under the laws of various countries. It is the sole responsibility of the image user to identify and obtain any necessary third-party permissions prior to image use.
No copyright or other proprietary right in the image itself or in the underlying work of art is conveyed by making an image accessible. Furthermore, in making an image accessible, KAM does not grant the user an exclusive right to use or reproduce such image or work of art.
Users may not suggest or imply that KAM endorses, approves, or has participated in any projects utilizing images obtained from KAM.
As a courtesy to the museum and to enable others to identify and locate information about its collections, KAM encourages users to include the following credit with any use of one of its open access images: Krannert Art Museum, University Illinois Urbana-Champaign
KAM would appreciate receiving a gratis copy of any new publications reproducing collection images, but it is not required. Print copies can be mailed to: Krannert Art Museum, Attn: Image Rights and Requests, 500 East Peabody Drive, Champaign, IL 61820 USA. PDF reproductions can be sent via email to kam-collections@illinois.edu.
To request an image not available online or a higher-resolution version of an existing image, please use the Image Request Form or email kam-collections@illinois.edu. Please note, KAM cannot guarantee the availability of images for every work in our collection; works or their images may be unavailable due to condition, location, exhibition, collection priorities, copyright, or other restrictions.
The museum asks that users aware of any rights information associated with an image contact the museum with this information at the email address above.
KAM respects all intellectual property rights and complies with applicable copyright law, including the exemption from copyright restrictions under the doctrine of fair use. Nothing in this open access policy is intended to limit the application of this doctrine to the use of images of the museum’s collections. Thumbnail-sized images of copyrighted works are displayed under fair use. KAM also respects the privacy and publicity rights of individuals and abides by provisions in donor and purchase agreements that may restrict uses of particular works of art.
Glossary
Open Access: refers to freely available, digital, online information. Open Access scholarly literature is free of charge and often carries less restrictive copyright and licensing barriers than traditionally published works, for both the users and the authors.
Public domain: A work is in the public domain if it is not protected by copyright.
Protected Content: works protected by copyright or other restrictions—whether or not in the public domain—may be subject to other restrictions as well, including rights of privacy and publicity, under applicable law.
Consult the U.S. Copyright Office, Cornell University, and Creative Commons Zero (CC0) for additional information on copyright and public-domain terms and definitions.
