Connecting Online and Gallery Sales for ING Discerning Eye

ING Discerning Eye is one of the UK's most respected annual art exhibitions, bringing together selected artwork from hundreds of talented artists. While the submission, judging and selection process is managed through ArtOpps, the exhibition itself needed a dedicated platform capable of showcasing artwork, managing stock and facilitating sales both online and within the physical gallery.

Following a referral from ArtOpps, CoreTechnics developed a dedicated WordPress and WooCommerce solution designed specifically around the exhibition process. The platform allows visitors to browse shortlisted artwork online while giving the exhibition team the tools needed to manage sales, stock availability and customer purchases throughout the event.

The result is a system that bridges the gap between the digital exhibition and the real-world gallery experience.

From judging platform to public exhibition

ArtOpps handles the application and judging stages of the exhibition process, allowing artists to submit work and judges to review entries. Once that process is complete, however, a different challenge begins. The selected artwork needs to be presented to the public, made available for purchase and managed throughout the exhibition.

ING Discerning Eye required a website that could take over at this stage of the journey. The platform needed to showcase selected artwork professionally while also supporting the operational requirements of a busy exhibition.

Building the bridge between ArtOpps and WooCommerce

To achieve this, CoreTechnics developed a bespoke WordPress plugin that connects directly to the ArtOpps platform. The integration synchronises artwork information and exhibition data, reducing administration and ensuring that the public-facing website reflects the latest information available.

WooCommerce was then used to power the sales process, allowing artwork to be sold through the website while also supporting sales made within the physical gallery. This gave the exhibition organisers a single platform for managing inventory and customer purchases.

Managing artwork, stock and sales

Unlike a traditional online store, every artwork is unique. Once a piece is sold, stock levels and availability need to be managed carefully to avoid confusion between online and in-person sales.

The platform was designed around these requirements, helping the team manage artwork availability throughout the exhibition while providing visitors with an intuitive browsing experience. Buyers can discover artists and artworks online, while gallery staff can continue using the system to support sales taking place in person.

Supporting the exhibition year after year

The system has successfully supported both the 2024 and 2025 exhibitions, providing a reliable platform for showcasing artwork and processing sales. Because the exhibition runs annually, the platform also needed to be flexible enough to support future events and changing requirements.

Work is now beginning on a major redevelopment for the 2026 exhibition. The next generation of the platform will integrate directly with SMART Data, unlocking additional functionality, deeper integration opportunities and improved operational workflows.

This ongoing evolution reflects the close relationship between ArtOpps, ING Discerning Eye and CoreTechnics, with each year's event helping shape the future development of the platform.