For 2025–2027 the Arts in Mental Health considers the intertwined histories of art and creative therapies. It will address the work of notable modern artists, from Camille Claudel to Vincent van Gogh, and delve into the work of contemporary artists such as Yayoi Kusama and Javier Téllez. Potential research processes and outcomes include Center guest dialogues, research seminars, panel discussions, and publications.

The Early History of the Accademia di San Luca was conceived, under the direction of associate dean Peter M. Lukehart, as a project in two parts: a volume of essays concerning the establishment of one of the first artists’ academies in late 16th-century Italy and a database of newly rediscovered notarial documents that support current and future study of the Accademia and its members. The database of documents, The History of the Accademia di San Luca, c. 1590–1635: Documents from the Archivio di Stato di Roma, encourages new research on the Accademia. Maps and guidebooks presented on the website contextualize the primary material with nuanced historical information about locations where the Accademia conducted business. Documents, essays, bibliographies, and image collections offer myriad ways to learn and explore.

In September 2024, two new essays written by Evelyn Lincoln and Susan Nalezyty were published to the website, focusing on the Italian printmaker Girolama Cagnaccia Parasole (c. 1567–1622). The first documented woman member of the Accademia, Girolama’s legacy and artistic contributions have long been misidentified, often vis-à-vis her sister-in-law, Isabella Catanea Parasole (c. 1570–c. 1620). We invite you to read the essays, which are available in English and Italian.

On March 8, 2025, the Center and the National Gallery of Art Library hosted a public Wikipedia edit-a-thon for the purpose of disambiguating Girolama from her sister-in-law. The event featured a lecture as well as a special display of rare books with prints by the Parasole family workshop, organized by Valeria Federici with a short-term loan from Dumbarton Oaks.

Over the next year, the project website will adapt to new modes of scholarly publication, centering academic audiences and increasing accessibility. The project team has cataloged its webpages with the Internet Archive and is reconceptualizing its online contents for a revised and updated digital home. We are looking forward to the possibilities of new formats and media, and we invite you to visit the website in the future.

The Index of American Design (IAD) offers opportunities to explore the unique history of American design and invites reflections on topics of national, regional, and local identity. Over the last year, the research team accomplished short-term goals and advanced long-term plans in coordination with National Gallery partners in content strategy, digital experience, digital solutions, archives, and curatorial departments. A new online home for the IAD will engage the imagination of our audiences, integrate perspectives outside of academic art worlds into research and interpretation, and strengthen the National Gallery’s impact as a national museum in service to communities across the country.

A topic page launched in summer 2025 features three articles written by Matthew J. Westerby, Abby Whitlock (digital initiatives coordinator), and Abby Foster (Wilmerding Intern for Digital Interpretation). In addition, Center research associates and Howard University undergraduate interns have explored the collection by region and state. This work has opened up new questions about the scope and definition of the IAD as it was originally conceived. An ongoing emerging technologies pilot is exploring AI applications to enhance the discovery of the IAD collection and archives.

The Center contributed to an initiative to share comparative data about fellowships and research grants in art history. As of summer 2025, four residential programs are represented: the Center, Getty Research Institute (GRI), Research and Academic Program at the Clark Art Institute, and Smithsonian American Art Museum. In total, data related to 3,877 awards are included, representing 784 institutions in 72 countries. In addition to enhancing the stories we can tell, this information helps residential programs better serve our communities and broaden the scope of scholarship we support. The data story for the Scholars Data Project is available on the Association of Research Institutes in Art History (ARIAH) website.

This research initiative underscores ARIAH’s dedication to championing the history of art and related disciplines through collaboration. The data story and goals were first presented to ARIAH members in November 2024 by Matthew J. Westerby and Nancy Um, associate director for research and knowledge creation at GRI. The Center’s contribution developed from the Mapping Our Museum initiative and “Team Center Alumni,” led by Jen Rokoski, Salima Appiah-Duffell (resource sharing librarian), and Matthew J. Westerby.