Note: Catalogs can also be called "exhibit catalogs" or the word can be spelled "catalogues."
What is an Exhibition Catalog? These are books that describe a temporary exhibition within a museum or art gallery. Some of these exhibitions may travel over a period of years to many different art museums. Eventually the exhibit will be disbanded and all works on loan for the show will be returned to the owners, either private or museums.
How are these Exhibition Catalogs useful? These catalogs contain images and detailed descriptions of the pieces within the exhibit. Also, they are likely to contain articles on the subject of the exhibit which provide context to the exhibit's theme. These articles are likely to be written by the exhibition's curator or other top specialists/researchers within the field.
Also included in an Exhibit Catalog. They can also include bibliographies and indexes which can lead to additional materials. Some catalogs will include chronologies.
Collectively, these exhibition catalogs are very useful to researchers and students, even when the exhibition occured years ago. They are fully cataloged with the Pollak Library Catalog and are available to be checked out. If this library does not own a copy, they may be requested through Interlibrary Loan by current CSUF people.
Sample Exhibition Catalog; Elegance and Refinement: The Still-life Paintings of Willem Van Aelst
