Title: The name given to the artwork by the artist. If the artwork is untitled, you can note it as "Untitled" or with any additional information provided (e.g., "Untitled Landscape").

Artist(s): The name of the artist who created the artwork. This is essential for attribution and provenance records.
*Note: you can create a new artist record or select from an existing artist already in your account. Creating a new artist if the same artist does already exist in your account will result in duplicate artist/contact records.

Piece Images: We recommend uploading high-resolution images to Artwork Archive for your Piece Records. If you choose to have a Public Profile, the images will automatically be resized for web viewing.

Video Links: Where you can include Youtube or Vimeo links to any videos that relate to your Piece. Examples include video installations, performance pieces, process videos, artist talks, etc.

Audio Files: Upload audio files related to your artwork such as artist interviews, audio guides, or sound components of multimedia works. This is particularly valuable for sound art, performance documentation, or collecting oral histories about significant pieces. Audio files can be played directly from the Piece record and shared through Private Rooms when needed.

Medium: The materials or methods used by the artist to create the artwork. This free text field allows you to enter any relevant information about the medium as provided by the artist, gallery, or auction house.

Subject Matter: The main concepts, objects, events, or emotions depicted or represented in the work. Examples include Landscape, Still Life, Portrait, etc.

Type of Art: A broad classification that helps categorize artwork based on the predominant media, techniques and artistic approaches used. This field helps with organizing your art collection by type.

Tags: Tags are specific descriptive keywords you can add to your artwork to help categorize and group your artworks when searching or filtering your inventory. Examples might include specific themes, periods, or collection focuses.

Edition Info: For editioned works (prints, photographs, sculptures, video art, etc.):

Accurate edition information is crucial for authentication, valuation, and provenance, particularly for prints, photographs, and multiples.

Creation Date: The date the artwork was created or finished by the artist. The creation date is important for establishing the timeline of an artist's career and for authentication purposes.

Price: Price refers to the retail/sales price of the item. This is the field that will display on your Public Profile, Private Rooms, Tear Sheets, and anywhere else the retail sale price of the artwork is shown.

Wholesale Value: A free type field where you can record the wholesale value of the artwork. This can be useful for collectors who acquire works directly from galleries or artists at wholesale prices, or for understanding potential resale to dealers.

Fair Market Value: Fair market value (FMV) is the price that the Piece would sell between a buyer and seller on the open market. The FMV is generally what is used for charitable donation values and inheritance tax.

Insurance Value: Insurance value or replacement value is the amount it would cost to replace an item with one of the similar and like quantity, purchased in the most appropriate market within a limited amount of time.

Inventory Number or Accession Number: A unique identifying number assigned to a specific artwork within your collection. Please note: We do not automatically generate inventory numbers as so many of our artists have their own way of numbering that it's really a challenge to come up with a one-size-fits-all solution. We offer so many ways to sort and filter that it's largely unnecessary unless you have some specific requirement related to inventory numbers. We also have a feature called Collections that allows you to categorize your work in a number of ways that suit you.

Description: The description field can contain any information you wish to document about the piece. This could include details about the artistic significance, historical context, or any notable elements of the work. This free type field is optional and does not need to be filled out if you do not wish to do so.

Notes: This field is used for any additional information you’d like to record about a specific piece. Collectors often use this field for condition notes, conservation requirements, display preferences, or personal thoughts about the piece. This field will ALWAYS remain private even if you decide to make your piece public.

Provenance Notes: This is the documented history of the ownership, custody, and transmission of that artwork from its creation to the present. It serves as a record of the artwork’s origins and its journey over time, providing critical information about its authenticity, legal ownership, and historical significance.

Status: The status of an artwork changes frequently, and you need to be able to keep track of it in order to stay organized. In Artwork Archive, you can mark a Piece as Available, Reserved, Donated, Sold, Not for Sale, Gifted, Work Destroyed, Lost, On Loan, Deaccessioned or Archived for quick reference, as well as filter by these statuses when searching for Pieces in your inventory.

​Archiving is completely independent from the status field. You can archive any piece regardless of its status, and you can set any status for both archived and unarchived pieces.

Piece Condition: Document the current condition of your artwork using a standardized rating scale. Select from a drop-down menu with the following options: Excellent, Very good, Good, Fair, Poor, or Very poor.

There is also a free text field for Condition Notes where you can provide detailed observations about the artwork's condition, such as specific damage, conservation needs, or changes over time. Regular condition assessments are essential for collection management and insurance purposes.

Acquisition Details: Document the preferred way to credit the artwork when it is displayed, published, or loaned. This is especially important for museum loans, publications, or exhibition labels. This section allows you to comprehensively document how the artwork came into your collection:

Maintaining accurate acquisition details is essential for provenance documentation, insurance purposes, and potential tax implications.

Specifications:

Signature: Determines whether the piece is signed by the artist. The free text field for Signature Notes allows you to provide key information about the signature including location, media, form, date, etc.

Public Info: Select "Make Piece Public" if you would like this piece to appear on your Artwork Archive Public Profile. Many collectors choose to keep their records private or selectively share only certain works with Private Rooms.

Collections: Collections allow you to visually categorize the artwork in your inventory for easy organization. Create Collections to sort works by artist, period, theme, or location in your home. You are then able to share these curated Collections selectively through Private Rooms with advisors, insurers, or family members.

Location: Locations are typically used for places where the artwork is currently located, whether displayed in your home, stored in a facility, or on loan to an institution. This feature helps track where your artwork is at any time.
​

Individual Piece Menu Options

Primary Image: This is the first image you will see in your inventory and the main image viewers will see if you decide to share on Reports or on your Public Profile. You can choose which of your images is the primary image when editing the Piece Record.

Additional Images: Where your additional images of your artwork will appear to show different angles, details, or contexts.

Video Links & Audio Files: Where you can view your Youtube or Vimeo links added that relate to your piece. Examples include video installations, performance pieces, process videos, artist talks, etc.

Key Piece Details & Status (Tombstone Information): This section shows the key details about the piece, including the medium, price, tags, and Collections it belongs to. You can also change the status of the artwork (e.g. Available, Gifted, Reserved) in this area.
​

Condition: Track the condition of your artwork over time, documenting any changes or conservation needs.

Description: The description field for a piece can contain any information you wish to be public alongside the image (if you choose to make your piece public). This could be a brief description of the inspiration or process behind the piece to photo credits. This free field is optional and does not need to be filled out if you do not wish to do so.

Notes: Where you can see your private notes or reminders about the artwork that won't be publicly displayed, such as materials used or personal memories associated with the piece.

Signature Info: Detail information about the signature on the artwork, including its location, date, and any other relevant details that verify its authenticity.

Public Status: Select if this artwork should be publicly visible or remain private in your Artwork Archive account. Additionally, access the unique link associated with this piece.

Original Image Files: Manage, download, or share the high-resolution or original image files of your artwork from this section.

Delete Piece or Archive Piece: Remove this artwork record from your inventory. This action is typically irreversible, so use it with caution.

Activity Log: View a record of most recent activities and updates made to this Piece Record.

Acquisition Details: Records how the artwork was acquired, including loan information, dates, and value.

Current Location: Specify and update the current physical location of the artwork.

Location History: Track and review the history of where the artwork has been displayed or stored.

Appraisal History: Document all professional appraisals of the artwork over time, tracking its changing value.

Provenance: Document the history of ownership and custody of the artwork, proving its authenticity and contributing to its value.

Exhibition History: Record when and where this artwork has been exhibited, including loans to museums or institutions.

Publication History: Record instances where the artwork has been published or featured in media and literature.

Original Editions: If this work has been used as the "master" for creating editions, those editions will be listed in this section.

Runs / Reproductions: Any Runs / Reproductions made from this piece will be displayed in this section.

Additional Files: Upload and manage additional documents related to the artwork, such as certificates of authenticity, bills of sale, correspondence with the artist, or conservation reports.

Maintenance: The Maintenance section allows arts organizations to document all conservation activities, repairs, and preservation efforts for each artwork, including dates, costs, service providers, and detailed treatment descriptions—essential for maintaining collection integrity and supporting insurance claims.

Income/Expenses (specific to this Piece): Tracks all financial transactions related to the artwork, including maintenance costs and any revenue.