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Contemporary Art & Artists

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Email: libraries@colorado.edu

Documents of Contemporary Art

Where are the Art Books?

The Art & Architecture Collection is arranged in Library of Congress call number order, and can be found in the northwest corner of the second floor. Relevant call number ranges include:

  • N - Visual Arts
  • NA - Architecture
  • NB - Sculpture
  • NC - Drawing, Design, & Illustration
  • ND - Painting
  • NE - Print Media (e.g. printmaking, engraving, etching, litho, etc.)
  • NK - Decorative Arts (e.g. interior design, ceramics, glass, metals, textiles, etc.)
  • NX - Arts in General
  • TR - Photography
  • TT - Handicrafts, Arts & Crafts

Not sure where to find the book you need? Check out the map of the Art & Architecture Collection.

Why Books & Exhibition Catalogs?

While well known artists will often be the main subject of a book, more obscure or recent artists may be included in a group show catalog or a book discussing many artists. These exhibition catalogs are a great way to explore themes and find other artists connected to your subject. For some artists essays in this catalogs may be the only scholarly writing about them.

Library Catalogs

CU Boulder Library Catalog


Use the following tools to get books from other libraries:

Search within Books


Google books allows you to search within a book for keywords. This is great for contemporary artists who might be mentioned in a book but not be the main focus. Once you identify a book, check our catalog to see if we own it.

Google Book Search