The GalleryVirtuality Project: Using the Quake 3 Engine to create a Virtual Art Gallery

The GalleryVirtuality Project is the brainchild of Bret Colin Sheppard, Designer and Chief Programmer. "I designed this so people in the art community would have a virtual space to show their work. It is extraordinarily expensive to rent space in 'actual reality' to show work and in the remaining venues, many artists are turned down when they apply. This project creates a way to use virtual reality, in the control of the artist, free of cost except the cost of learning how to use this tool and time."

Bret has "disarmed" the Quake 3 engine from it's myriad weaponery and created a slimmed-down environment for displaying art. No crazed creatures are there to chase you or shoot at you as you can take your time, perusing art. Artists can show their work virtually in a familiar environment to patrons. Teachers and parents can help kids put their art in a "gallery" inspiring them as future working artists. A walk-through can be recorded into a YouTube Video to share on social media, can be used as a movie-making tool, and possibly as an interesting "presentation" tool. The virtual sky is the limit. That is the idea, still developing and we are welcoming interested game designers, artists and others into this project as it comes online in 2015. Those interested in the code can email bretcolin@gmail.com.

Karen Christine Patrick is the Director of Community Development for The GalleryVirtuality Project which is now a Google Plus Community. The tagline "Your Art Deserves To Be Seen" pretty much sums up the intention of the project. "Bret showed me this project and my wheels started to turn. The slimming down of the code means some possibilities for apps development. I am a media person mostly, so using this tool for videos is very interesting to me." Contact kcpatricktexas@gmail.com for community questions.

The Blog about the project from Sheppard and Patrick is at http://galleryvirtuality.blogspot.com/

The Google + Community is at http://goo.gl/vJbBYq