How Are Online Viewing Rooms Different From a Gallery Website?

Online viewing rooms are flexible web pages that give galleries and artists ways to reach out to their supporters in a direct and meaningful way. We would like to share some more thoughts on how this feature can be used differently than your website, which can provide a more archival reference of your artwork and activities.

Online viewing rooms are temporary web pages that can be quickly created to showcase a specific group of works. Viewing rooms in Primer are unlimited and can be tailored for any audience. For example, a viewing room might be used as a targeted sales offer to one individual (see image 2 below) or as a way to show your wider audience a new body of work or special project (image 1). They are meant to be relevant and temporary.

Your website will likely focus on physical exhibitions that you wish to archive for the long term. It will also include all the basic biographical and general information. A viewing room doesn't need an introduction or bio for an artist if it is intended for a contact for whom this information is redundant.

Your viewing rooms are more likely to show pricing and availability information, especially as they can quickly be updated, deleted and/or recreated.

Each viewing room first shows a list of all the works. Then, every artwork will also have its own page that can include multiple views and a longer statement about that piece (image 3) or a personal message if the room is for a certain individual (image 4).

Viewers can interact more easily with an online viewing room. They can favorite works and by pressing the inquiry button, an email message will automatically be crafted from their own email address and include all tagged works.

Traditionally in a physical gallery or studio visit, clients may be brought back to a private viewing room to see available works that are not on public view. The experience can convey a sense of specialness or exclusivity while showcasing artworks with a maximum clarity of what is available at that moment in time. We believe that online viewing rooms can help you virtually replicate this experience for clients. All viewing room pages will have an expiration date of your choice, up to one year.

Sample reasons to create online viewing rooms instead of a website • Artwork offer for a specific client • Feature new work from the studio • A thematic virtual “exhibition” of work • Preview works for an upcoming museum show or art fair booth • Feature secondary market work that is available • Introduction of your gallery program to a new client • A time limited sale of artwork • Debut a new artist that you are not yet ready to add to your website roster

Online viewings rooms are free for every user of Primer Art Software and are an invaluable tool for art dealers, artists, art advisors and other fine art professionals. As always, customer support is on call to assist with online viewing rooms and all aspects of using Primer to do bettr art business at no extra charge.

Image 1: Online viewing room highlighting a specific, newsworthy project and related works for sale.

Image 2: Artwork offer for a specific individual

image 3: Detail page of an artwork including a general statement about the work

Image 4: Online viewing room for one individual collector showing an artwork detail page that includes a message just for that person