How to Start an Online 3D Art Gallery with Oarbt: A Step-by-Step Guide (Part 1 of 2)

It’s fair to say that as a creative, being stuck at home can be limiting but with technology it really doesn’t have to be. Where one door closes another (virtual) door opens; which is where Oarbt comes in. 

Welcome to Oarbt's two-part masterclass to guide you as you build and launch your very own 3D Art Exhibition.

Using Oarbt’s intuitive, easy-to-use platform, you can build your very own virtual exhibition in no time—and not just in one-dimensional viewing rooms. Yes, Oarbt goes the extra mile and allows you to build 3-Dimensional spaces to display your artwork. So, you can rest assured your audience will welcome the immersive alternative that gives the closest experience to an in-person viewing right from the comfort and safety of their homes.

To help you create your own digital exhibition, I’m here to walk you through the easy process step-by-step. As an example for this guide, I’ll be showing how Toronto-based Alison Milne Co. developed a solo exhibition of works by artist Kriss Munsya. 

How to build a 3D art exhibition (from scratch)

1. Select a space from the library or request a custom space
2. Add the artworks you want to sell
3. Create an exhibition
4. Approve the exhibition
5. Prepare for the exhibition launch
6. Launch your exhibition

Create Your Oarbt Account

To begin, you’ll need to create an account and choose a plan with a 14 day free trial of Oarbt. The trial gives you time to build your exhibition and have it ready for launch before your subscription starts. You can continue to add more artworks, spaces and exhibitions when you choose a plan.

To create an account, you can sign up with your email address, Google or Facebook account. Once you’ve signed up, you can log into Oarbt anytime using these same login credentials.

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STEP 1: Select a space from the library or request a custom space

One of the unique features of Oarbt is the option to choose a 3D space for your virtual exhibition or the freedom to design one just the way you want it. It’s actually beyond exciting because it means you can display an exhibition in a Mexican country home, Nordic studio or minimalist white gallery - the choice is yours! This is the concept behind spaces on Oarbt, which are the simulated 3D environments in which you will display your artworks or other products. 

Before you build your exhibition, you need to choose the space you want to present in. Oarbt allows you two different ways to build a 3D exhibition space—you can create your custom space from scratch, or you can use our pre-made templates from our space library. To do this, login, click on My Account, and select the Browse Library option on the left pane.

STEP 2: Browsing the Space Library

We’ve built a collection of spaces for you to select from and we call it the “Space Library”...(hope you love the name as much as we do!) Anyway, in this Space Library, you can browse through free and premium residential, corporate, industrial and creative spaces available for use.

To access the Space Library, log in to your account and select Space Library from the account menu on the left. Create an exhibition using one of Oarbt's templates:

a.) Click the Choose a Template tab to view Oarbt’s existing space templates. You have 5 different versions to choose from, right from ultra contemporary to more rustic spaces.

b.) You can preview a space by clicking on the Preview button. Once you find a template you like, click on the Add button to purchase the space.

c.) You will be taken to the payment window where you can make the payment by entering your payment information.

d.) Once you’ve done that, your chosen space will be available under the My Spaces option on your Account page.

Prefer freshly brewed coffee to instant? Then you might want to create your Custom exhibition space from scratch. With this option, you can recreate your very own art gallery and decide on every aspect of the environment in which you want to display your art exhibition. We recommend this option if you have a strong creative vision that you’re looking to bring to life.

OR STEP 2: To create a Custom Space:

a.) Click on the Request Custom Space tab under the Browse Library option.

b.) Proceed to customise your 3D space by filling out the necessary details. You have control over every aspect; right from the space dimensions to the colour and texture of the wall colour etc.

c.) You have all the freedom to be a little extra with your custom space by adding furniture, light fittings or even people to your space. Isn’t that neat?

d.) Click Save & Edit Later if you want to revisit your space.

e.) Once you’re happy with how your space looks, click on Submit. You’ll receive an email with further details. You can find all your 3D spaces by navigating to My Spaces in the My Account tab.

See! Not so hard was it? Now that you have your exhibition spaces ready, the next step is to create your very first exhibition.