Wikipedia Saves Public Art: A Survey of IUPUI Public Art

Abstract

In Fall 2009, as part of a Museum Studies public scholarship effort, a group of twenty students undertook research on the collection and documented their findings using Wikipedia. Accessing university archives, newspaper articles, artist monographs, and other sources, the students pieced together background information. Conducting artist interviews, photo documentary surveys, and condition assessments, the students captured details about the life of each sculpture. The students shared this information in Wikipedia so that it may be maintained in a public, collaborative, participatory forum.