Rights and Reproductions Policy
Requesting Images from the Museum
Thank you for your interest in obtaining an image of an object in the Smart Museum of Art's permanent collection. Simply follow the steps below to place your request. Please allow 8-12 weeks for processing. Requests that are needed sooner will be accommodated as possible, but we cannot guarantee availability; additional fees may apply.
- Identify the object(s) of which you want an image, providing artist's name, title and accession number, if known. You can search the collection to get the necessary details.
- If you are interested in publishing the image, determine if the work is still copyrighted. Proof of permission to publish from the copyright holder(s) must be forwarded to the Smart Museum of Art before images are released.
- All image requests must be made in writing. You can either fill out our Photographic Request Form (PDF format) and send or fax it to the attention of the Associate Registrar for the Permanent Collection or use it as a guide and email the information to smart-imaging@uchicago.edu.
- Once your request has been received, you will be contacted and an invoice or contract-invoice will be sent. Our Photographic Materials Fees and Photographic Reproduction Fees schedules and Conditions for Reproduction are available in PDF format for your reference. No photographic material will be released until all fees have been paid and contracts with original signatures have been received.
Upon receipt of payment and the duplicate signed contracts, if for publication, the photographic material will be sent. No refunds are given for unused images. The Smart Museum of Art will receive two (2) gratis copies of the publication in which the reproduction appears, sent to the attention of the Associate Registrar for the Permanent Collection.
Personal Photography in the Galleries
Visitors will be asked to fill out a Personal Use Photography Permission Form. Permission to take personal photographs in the galleries is generally granted under the following terms:
- Only works of art owned by the Smart Museum of Art can be photographed. Photography of works of art on loan or in special exhibitions is strictly prohibited.
- Flash photography is not allowed.
- Photography is done with a hand-held camera. Use of video equipment, tripods or extra lights must be arranged in advance.
Permission to photograph does not purport to include any rights which persons other than the Smart Museum of Art may have under the laws of various countries. These photographs will be for personal use only and can not be published, reproduced, duplicated or sold in any form, either in print or online.
For additional information, and to obtain the Personal Use Photography Permission Form when visiting the Museum, please see the Front Desk Attendant.