Private Rooms let you share part of your collection as a private online gallery, without giving anyone access to your full database. Build a room from your Artwork Archive collection, choose which works and details appear, and send it as a link to whoever you're coordinating with, whether that's a board member reviewing recent acquisitions, a curator considering a loan, an appraiser, or an insurer.
You decide exactly what each audience sees, and you can password-protect any room for an added layer of security.
Your recipient opens the link in any browser. No login, no app, no account needed on their end.
You can create as many Private Rooms as you need on any of the plans below:
Artist Professional & Master accounts
Collector Plus & Premier accounts
Creating a Private Room
Navigate to Artwork > Private Rooms in your left-side menu
Select + New Room
Enter a name in the Name field.
This is your internal label, visible only to you inside your Artwork Archive account. Your recipient will not see this unless you leave the Header Title blank (more on that below).
Under Header & Branding, choose how the top of your room looks:
Upload Header: add your own banner image. Select Choose File under Header Image to upload a JPEG or PNG up to 10MB. Once uploaded, a preview appears with options to Customize alt text, Replace Header, or Remove Header. For a banner image, you can also turn on Header Image Gradient to add an overlay that improves text readability over the image.
Use Logo: display your account logo.
Profile Image: display your account profile image.
If you choose a header option but have no image uploaded or saved for it, the room simply displays no header image. To reuse a header across rooms, save one using Saved Header on the main Private Rooms page.
Under Header Options, set your Font Color and Header Alignment.
Font Color applies to the text shown over your hero image, so choose the option that stays legible against your image.
Enter a Header Title (up to 160 characters) and, optionally, a Header Subtitle (up to 300 characters).
These are what your recipient sees when they open the room. If you leave these fields blank, your recipient will see the Name instead.
Use the Description field to add context for your recipient, such as details about the works, a note about a loan in progress, or any relevant background information.
Choose which details to display on each work. These controls are grouped into panels: Essential Settings, Artwork Details, and Additional Artwork Details
Turn on only what your audience needs. A board reviewing acquisitions may want provenance and exhibition history, while an insurer may need condition information and insurance values.
(Optional) Under Viewer Permissions, toggle Allow viewers to send messages and favorite pieces so recipients can flag works and reach out, and Allow downloads of original image files if your audience needs the source files, such as a lender or appraiser.
To make your Private Room shareable, open Publish Settings and turn on Published.
(Optional) Add a password under Publish Settings by entering one in the Password protected field.
(Optional) Under Custom Ordering and Piece Sort Options, choose a Sort Order for how works appear in the room.
Under Select your pieces, choose the works to include.
Use Piece Search or Show Filters to narrow by collection, medium, status, and more, then add works individually or select Add all [number] pieces to move them into the Selected Pieces column on the right. Whatever sits in that column is exactly what appears in your room.
Select Save Changes
Did you know?
Marking a Private Room as "published" does not make the room public for anyone to access. It still remains private and only accessible to those that receive the invite link. "Published" for Private Rooms simply means that those with the link that you send them can now access the Private Room.
Sharing a Private Room
When you share a Private Room directly with an Artwork Archive Contact, the sharing record is automatically stored in that Contact's history.
This feature helps you keep track of interactions, easily reference shared Private Rooms, and maintain organized records for follow-ups.
Navigate to the main Private Rooms page and locate the room you'd like to share
Choose how to share your Private Room:
Copy URL to share outside of Artwork Archive, such as in an email or text message.
Share to send directly from your Artwork Archive account by adding a contact or entering an email address.
When a room is Published, the link is active and your recipient can open it immediately. When a room is Unpublished, the link is inactive and cannot be shared until you publish it.
If you unpublish a room after sharing it, the link stops working for everyone who has it, including recipients you already sent it to, until you publish the room again.
Did you know?
Viewers DO NOT need an Artwork Archive account to view a Private Room.
All they need is the link and a web browser. If you have added a password, you will need to share that with them separately.
What Your Recipient(s) Will See
Your recipient opens the link in any browser, no account required.
If you enabled Allow viewers to send messages and favorite pieces, a Message button lets them reach you directly. Their note arrives in your Artwork Archive Inbox, and a notification is also sent to the primary email address on your account, so you do not have to be logged in to know someone reached out.
Example Private Room
Browse the collection different ways using the tabs at the top of the room. Alongside Artworks, recipients can switch to Artists, Collections, and Locations views, depending on the details you enabled, or scan the Artists on view list.
Example of an individual Piece in a Private Room
Want to see a live example?
Browse a sample Private Room to experience it the way your recipient would:
Example Email
Did you know?
The browser tab your recipient sees follows this order: the Header Title first, then the Header Subtitle, then the Name as a final fallback. If you want a clean, descriptive tab title when someone has multiple tabs open, fill in the Header Title before sharing.
Private Room Best Practices
Header Image dimensions
Use a landscape image at 2560 x 1440 pixels. Accepted formats are JPEG or PNG, up to 10MB.
Avoid images that contain text, as cropping may vary depending on the viewer's screen size.
When setting your Font Color, consider the brightness of your header image: white text works best over darker images, and black text works best over lighter ones. If text is still hard to read, turn on Header Image Gradient for a readability overlay.
Add alt text to your header using Customize alt text. It describes the image for recipients using a screen reader and appears in place of the image if it does not load, a quick way to make your room more accessible to everyone you share it with.
Name vs. Header Title
Use the Name field as a practical internal label, for example "Board Presentation, Q3 2026" or "Loan Review, Spring Exhibition," and use the Header Title and Subtitle for the polished, recipient-facing presentation. The Name keeps your own records organized; the Header Title is what your audience actually sees.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does my recipient need an Artwork Archive account to view the room?
No. Anyone with the link can open a Private Room in any web browser. There is nothing to download, install, or sign up for on their end.
Can I update the room after I have already shared it?
Yes. Any changes you save are reflected immediately at the same URL. You do not need to re-share the link.
My recipient says they cannot access the room. What should I check?
Check two things first: confirm the room is set to Published, and if you added a password, confirm you have shared it with your recipient separately.
Can I send one room to multiple people?
Yes. Use the Share dialog to send to multiple contacts at once, such as an entire board or acquisitions committee, or simply copy the URL and share it however you like.
Can I reuse a Private Room for a different audience or purpose?
You can edit a room at any time, including swapping out works, changing the title, or updating the description. Keep in mind that if you have already shared the link, the recipient will see any updates you make. If you want a clean, separate room for a new audience, such as a different lender or committee, it is best to create a new one.
How can I see which Private Rooms include a specific Piece?
Open the Piece's record and check the Sharing & Visibility section. If the Piece is in any Private Rooms, you'll see a clickable line showing the count. Click it to view each room's name and whether it is currently Published or Unpublished, and click a room name to go straight to that room.
Is there a limit to how many Private Rooms I can create?
No, you can create as many Private Rooms as you'd like!