Future-Proofing Your Art: Digital Preservation for Emerging Artists

The project began as an effort to create a digital preservation toolkit for emerging artists—a practical resource supporting my issue paper on the knowledge gap many early-career artists face around preserving their work in an increasingly digital landscape. Noah and I designed the module to be informative and approachable, creating a series of memes using early Renaissance paintings by Fra Angelico and Giotto. The memes act as a teaching device, using humor and content familiar to art students to make the module more engaging while still conveying the serious implications of neglecting preservation.

The module applies to artists of all media and emphasizes the added complexities of preserving digital and multimedia work. Drawing on conversations with students and educators, as well as my own experiences, we developed five themed sections, each with activities and quizzes to assess comprehension and retention of the material.

Intended Audience: Early-career artists; art students in undergraduate BFA programs
Course Level: Beginners; no knowledge of digital preservation strategies assumed
Course Description: Your ability to organize and preserve your artwork directly impacts your ability to sustain and grow your practice. Regardless of your medium, your art has a digital footprint and maintaining a structured digital archive ensures your work remains accessible into the future. This workshop equips emerging artists with essential strategies for naming, storing, backing up, and documenting their files using digital preservation best practices. By the end, you’ll have the tools to protect your work, stay organized, and confidently manage your digital portfolio.