Mailing Lists

If this is the first time you have sent out a mailing over a mailing list be sure to read the primer on mailing list etiquette.

 
The following mailing lists are for general art historical discourse:

• The Aesthetics List is for those interested in art and aesthetics. Join this list by sending the message "subscribe Aesthetics-L your name" to listserv@indiana.edu.

• The American Art History List. Join this list by sending the message "sub AmArt-L" to listserv@cunyvm.cuny.edu.

• The Art List (contemporary art). Join this list by sending the message "sub ARTLIST your name" to listserv@listserv.arizona.edu.

• The Art Criticism List. Join this list by sending the message "SUBSCRIBE ARTCRIT" to listserv@vm1.yorku.ca. You must be a member to post to this list. Direct any questions to the list owner.

• The Artifact List (material culture). Join this list by sending the message "sub ARTIFACT your name" to listserv@umdd.bitnet.

• The Art Information List. Join this list by sending the message "sub ART-L your name" to listserv@american.edu.

• The Art Net List (experimental art). Join this list by sending the message "JOIN ARTNET your name" to mailbase@mailbase.ac.uk.

• The Art Support List is comprised of artists and arts professionals who are for the most part British.

• The Visual Art List.

• The Avant-Garde List (contemporary art). Join this list by sending the message "subscribe avant-garde" to majordomo@lists.village.virginia.edu.

• CAAH: The Consortium for Art and Architectural Historians is a restricted listserv for the exchange of information concerning scholarship and research in the fields of art and architecture history. As with more and more lists, you must join this list before you can post to it. Join by sending the message "SUBSCRIBE CAAH your name" to listserv@pucc.princeton.edu.

• The CanArt List is comprised of artists and arts professionals who are for the most part Canadian. Join this list by sending the message "SUBSCRIBE CANART" to majordomo@cnet.ffa.ucalgary.ca.

• The RLG Art and Architecture List. Join this list by sending the message "sub RLGART-L your name" to listserv@yalevm.cis.yale.edu.

 
The following is a sampling of a few of the thousands of lists which cater to specific areas of study. Again, use a more comprehensive online database such as Tile to locate lists that are relevant to your research.

• The AegeaNet List, pre-classical from Palaeolithic to Homer and beyond. Join this list by sending the message "subscribe aegeanet" to majordomo@acpub.duke.edu.

• The History of the Ancient Mediterranean List. Join this list by sending the message "sub ANCIEN-L" to listserv@ulkyvm.louisville.edu.

• The Society of Architectural Historians List.

• The Art Education Mailing List (University of Arizona). Join this list by sending the message "sub UAARTED your name" to listserv@listserv.arizona.edu.

• The Art Libraries Society Discussion List. Join this list by sending the message "subscribe ARLIS-L" to listserv@lsv.uky.edu. The list owner/moderator, Mary Molinaro, can be emailed at molinaro@pop.uky.edu.

• The Clay Art List (ceramic arts/pottery). Join this list by sending the message "sub CLAYART your name" to listserv@lsv.uky.edu.

  The Committee for Intellectual Property List. Join this list by sending the message "ADD CIP@sjsuvm1.sjsu.edu your email address" to listserv@sjsuvm1.sjsu.edu.

• The Crafts List. Join this list via the Crafts List website.

• The Design List (basic & applied design in art & architecture). Join this list by sending the message "sub DESIGN-L your name" to listserv@psuvm.psu.edu.

  The Feminist Art History List. You can join via the list's web site at the Varo Registry of Women Artists.

• The Film List. Join this list by sending the message "SUB FILM-L your name" to listserv@itesmvf1.rzs.itesm.mx.

• The Film Theory List. Join this list by sending the message "subscribe film-theory" to majordomo@lists.village.virginia.edu.

• The Fine-Art Forum List (art & computer technology). Join this list by sending the message "sub FINE-ART your name" to listserv@rutvm1.rutgers.edu.

• The Landscape Architecture List. Join this list by sending the message "SUB LARCH-L your name" to listserv@syr.edu.

• The Liveart List (performance art). Join this list by sending the message "SUBSCRIBE LiVEART your name" to mailbase.ac.uk.

• The Media Arts List. Join this list by sending the message "sub MEDART-L your name" to listserv@listserv.utoronto.ca.

• The Medieval History List. Join this list by sending the message "sub MEDIEV-L your name" to listserv@ukanvm.cc.ukans.edu. The archives of this list can be seen at the MEDIEV-L Archives Site.

• The Museum Discussion List. Join this list by sending the message "SUBSCRIBE Museum-L your name" to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com.

• The NAHIA List (North American Historians of Islamic Art). Join this list by sending the message "sub NAHIA-L your name" to listserv@msu.edu.

• The Liveart List (performance art). Join this list by sending the message "SUBSCRIBE LIVEART your name" to mailbase.ac.uk.

• The Performance Studies International List (performance art).

• The Photography List. Join this list by sending the message "SUBSCRIBE Photo-L your name" to listproc@csuohio.edu.

• The History of Photography List. Join this list by sending the message "SUBSCRIBE PHOTOHIST your name" to listserv@asu.edu.

• The Prints List. Join this list by sending the message "SUBSCRIBE PRINTS-L your name" to ukanvm.cc.ukans.edu.

• The Renaissance List. Join this list by sending the message "SUBSCRIBE RENAIS-L your name" to listserv@ulkyvm.louisville.edu.

• The Roman Archaeology List. Join this list by sending the message "SUBSCRIBE ROMANARCH your name" to listserv@ulkyvm.louisville.edu.

• Victoria, the 19th Century art and society list. Join this list by sending the message "SUB VICTORIA your name" to iubvm.ucs.indiana.edu.

• The Visual Resources Association (VRA) List. A consortium of those who manage and work with visual resources.

• The V-Worlds List (virtual reality, non technical)

Mailing List Etiquette

• Some mailing lists allow anyone to send out requests for information (REQs) over them. Others require that you first subscribe to (join) them before you can post anything.

• Be especially polite because your request will be sent as email directly to everyone who has subscribed to the mailing list. Be very sure that your topic coincides with that of the list!

• When requesting information, start your request with the subject line "REQ:" and word it carefully. Everyone will ignore an obtuse subject line like "REQ: Info on a painter". A more specific subject line like "REQ: Info on watercolourist Lenni Workman" or "REQ: Info on Canada Council's Art Bank" may result in many helpful responses. Make it as short & specific as possible without being too long.

• The body of your short message should politely ask for any helpful tips such as sources or contacts; don't expect anyone to compose an essay especially for you.

• It can be a good idea to ask specifically that any replies be directed to your email address, otherwise they will sent to every list subscriber! Likewise, you should never send personal email out over a mailing list, use your intended recipient's specific email address.

How to Subscribe to Mailing Lists

• If you are particularly interested in a mailing list, you may wish to subscribe to (join) it yourself. You must send a cryptic message with a blank subject line to a special address which is only used to subscribe or unsubscribe. The special instructions on how to do this can varies from list to list, some are included above.

• There is no comprehensive list of lists, but "TILE" is a web site with well organised and complete information on many mailing lists. You might want to go directly to TILE's list of arts-related mailing lists.

• You normally receive an introductory message which includes the information required to unsubscribe shortly after you join a list. Keep a copy of these instructions in case you later want to unsubscribe. Often all that is required is to send the message UNSUBSCRIBE or UNSUB to the same address and in the same way that you sent the SUBSCRIBE or SUB command.

• Your return address will be the one that anything posted on the list will be sent to, so don't do it from somebody else's internet account without their consent!