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Visual Resources Center

Regular Hours: Mon-Fri 8:30am - 4:30 pm

Harriet Pappas - Visual Resources Curator
(401) 865-1257
hpappas@providence.edu

Student Workers

The Providence College Visual Resource Center is at the very heart of the Art Department. Located in Hunt-Cavanagh Hall, the center provides unique research resources to the students and faculty of the department.

History

The foundations of the VRC's collection were laid by the Reverend Lawrence M. Hunt O.P., Ph. D, who worked tirelessly to build up resources for the Department during his 44 years as an educator at PC. Hunt-Cavanagh Hall, where the VRC is located, is named in his honor for this reason. The collection that was begun by Father Hunt has been expanded greatly in recent years and now touches on numerous areas of interest including Architecture, the Arts of Asia, Modern Art, Classical Greece, Medieval Manuscripts, and Sacred Space. There are also volumes on technical instruction for studio artists, reference works, faculty publications, and senior thesis journals from past classes.

Collection

The non-circulating library at the VRC holds a collection of over 8,000 copyright compliant digital images and 85,000 slide images of art, architecture, maps and other visual aids. The library also houses some 675 video/dvd resources and over 2500 books, scholarly journals, magazines, and other volumes on a range of topics. Videos and dvds can be viewed at a media station. The VRC also houses a copy stand that can be used to photograph the works of Art majors and minors. There are also four computer work stations which can be reserved during select hours. Each computer is equipped with Photoshop and Adobe Acrobat, and training in computer programs is also available upon request. Two flatbed scanners and a copy machine are available for general use. A resource station is also present in the VRC with information about internships, graduate programs and fellowships.

Research

Students majoring in Art History, Studio Art, as well as other disciplines from across campus are welcome to research in the Visual Resource Center.  Although video/dvd and print materials in the collection are non circulating, students are encouraged to utilize them in house for research. In addition to the collection of research resources, the VRC also houses the offices of the faculty of Art History. This close proximity encourages an atmosphere of exploration and discovery, which inspires and energizes the work of students and faculty alike. There is a private reading area designed for students to study and conduct their research.

Student Work Opportunites 

Art and Art History students are welcome to apply for work study positions within the Department. They may work as an aid to Studio Art professors, or obtain a position as a Lab Technician in the Visual Resource Center where they can gain real world experience cataloguing images of artwork or aiding Art History professors in their research and writing projects. These positions give students the opportunity to work closely with their professors and to take an active part in the research being undertaken by the faculty
of PC.  

Electronic Resources

The Providence College Library subscribes to the following image databases: ARTstor, Grove Art Online and Oxford Art Online. These are available to the Providence College community only and may be accessed on and off campus.