The Canon, the Web, and the Long Tail

This article argues that releasing images of artworks into the public domain creates a new possibility for the public to challenge the canon or create their own, based on access to previously inaccessible images. Through the dissemination of openly licensed artworks across the Internet, museums can support the public in expanding their engagement with art to include participatory and creative practices. In this context, what people find interesting and useful comes to be defined not through art educators nor curators, but through their own engagement with works.