January 1, 2026
It’s time to celebrate another Public Domain Day!
Besides a new year, January 1, 2026 ushers previously copyrighted content into the public domain. Broadly speaking, creators enjoy the protections of copyright from the moment they create a tangible expression, for the entirety of their life, and 70 years after their death.
As of January 1, 2026, works whose creators died in 1955 are now in the public domain. Guests will now be able to search Newfields’ online collections portal and find that 139 works are now joining the public domain using the “public domain” search filter.
Please take a look at some of the new works in the public domain in our collection by Clara Epstein (1886–1995), Helen W. Heller (1872–1955), Charles W. Dahlgreen (1864–1955), Fernand Léger (1881–1955), Maurice Utrillo (1883–1955), and Mabel Dwight (1876–1955).
New Public Domain Works from Newfields' Collection
Clara Epstein, (1886–1955), Italian Hilltown Through Cypress Trees, watercolor on paper. Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields, Gift of Clarence Efroymson, 79.226.
There are exceptions and nuance to this 70-year duration (due to American copyright law updating throughout the years), but largely life plus 70 is a good guide to the copyright term before works move into the public domain.
After a creator’s death, the designated rights of the creator, whether that is family descendants, a trust, estate, or other representation, is then in control of how the work can be reproduced and re-used.
But, once the 70 years term is over, the work then crosses into the public domain and anyone can use the work however they like, no permission needed. Works that are in the public domain are the best for any re-use purposes—they are free to use for any new project you may have.
Having public domain works helps everyone by allowing the public to build upon what was once in copyright. A wonderful example of this is the novel, musical, and movies of Wicked! L. Frank Baum’s Wizard of Oz moved into the public domain in 1956, which means the characters and plot points were free for anyone to use.
In 1995, Gregory Maguire benefited from this freedom by crafting his interpretation of the witches of Oz in his novel Wicked, which has in turn inspired the popular Broadway musical and the thrillifyingWicked and Wicked: For Good movies. These creative works now have their own copyright protections, and the cycle can start again.
Newfields encourages you to get creative with all the new, freely available content and contribute your own spin!
