The article explains the concept of «software product», provides an overview of the subject of publications of local periodicals in the first half up to the mid-twentieth century. Their authors’ professions are identified as journalists, museum workers and artists. The article examines the reasons for publishing the most informative materials on the art life of the region. Particular attention is paid to the appearance in Altai in the second half of the twentieth century of the first critics, who had a great influence on the qualitative change of publications about the art life of the region. There are new genres of publications, such as creative portrait, interviews with artists. Professional activity of Altai historians resulted in creating classic works of Altai artists. The text of the article is supplied with the examples of publications about the classic works by G. F. Borunov, P. Mironov, M. D. Koveshnikova, I. S. Hayrulinov, N. P. Ivanov, A. Drilev and V. K. Shkil. The article is based on the materials taken from newspapers «Altaiskaya Pravda» and magazine «Kultura Barnaula».