Explanation
Correct answer: D.
Choice D is the best answer because it presents a finding that, if true, would most directly support the student’s claim that putting a work online increases the number of people who experience it. The text states that the Minneapolis Institute of Art has more than 90,000 artworks. It goes on to explain that images of a subset of these works can be viewed online, such as an image of Armajani’s drawing Mississippi Delta. The text then presents a student’s claim that online images of art can increase the number of people who experience the work. If more people view Armajani’s drawing online than they do in person, this finding would support the student’s claim about the benefits of putting a work from the museum online. Thus, this finding would most directly support the claim because, if it were true, more people would view Mississippi Delta online than would visit the entire museum in person.
Why the other choices are wrong
Choice A
Choice A is incorrect because information about the museum having several works by Armajani wouldn’t address the student’s claim about how putting artworks online affects the number of people who experience them. The quantity of works by one artist that are held in a museum collection wouldn’t support a claim about audience size or the impact of online accessibility.
Choice B
Choice B is incorrect because opinions about the museum would only relate to the institution’s reputation. This finding wouldn’t provide information about online accessibility or whether digital images increase the number of people who view specific artworks.
Choice C
Choice C is incorrect because critics’ praise for Mississippi Delta wouldn’t address the student’s claim about how online access increases the number of people who can experience a work. Although positive comments from art critics could affect interest in an artwork, this finding wouldn’t provide information about how many people experience the work or whether online accessibility increases that number.