Originally becoming popular in the 16th century, miniature portrait paintings were considered treasured tiny jewels crafted with intense determination and fine detail, placed in a small locket and then worn by both men and women to always keep loved ones close to the heart. Moving into the 21st century, the Tiny Art Show brings talented artists immersed in the world of miniature art together to display their small yet powerful artistic representations of love.  

     The annual Tiny Art Show, sponsored and organized by the Holladay Arts Council, opens on Feb. 6 and runs through Feb. 11. The general theme of the exhibit is love. Artists of all ages throughout the Salt Lake valley will display their miniature art work in the downstairs gallery at Holladay City Hall. Tiny art, including paintings, 3D art, and sculpture, will be exhibited and available for sale.

     “Last year was the first year for this show,” said Sheryl Gillilan, executive director of the Holladay Arts Council. “We had 80 artists with 270 works of tiny art. It’s unusual to see everything in a small size. There’s something inherently seductive about tiny works of art.”

     Gillilan pointed out when creating miniature works of art, sometimes working small is as hard as working big. The artist has to distill the essence of the art work in a small space usually adding a lot of detail. Space is limited to communicate an idea so the artist must plan carefully. But there are also several advantages to creating something small. 

     “It is usually faster to create a small work of art and easier to make a series with the same subject or style,” Gillilan said. “Sometimes artists experiment on a small scale before enlarging the idea. Also, artists who always work small feel like they sometimes get overlooked in traditional art shows, so this way everyone’s ‘playing in the same sand box.’ Because the art is small, the prices are more accessible for patrons who don’t have a big art-buying budget. Also, artists are always happy to see their ‘babies’ go to good homes with people who appreciate the art. Smaller works of art are easier to find a place for in homes and make great gifts.” 

Holladay Arts Council web designer and artist Beckie Rock plans to exhibit her miniature art again this year in the Tiny Art Show. Rock grew up in a home where art was encouraged and appreciated. She studied illustration and web design at Salt Lake Community College and also studied painting under her sister, Utah professional artist Bonnie Posselli.

“The Tiny Art Show was a successful event last year,” Rock said. “The art was tiny and fun and because of the timing, people were buying a small piece of art for a small price for Valentine’s Day. I’m looking forward to displaying three or four pieces of my art in the show once again this year.”

The price for tiny pieces of art will range from under $100 to several hundred dollars for collector pieces created by renowned artists. Holladay Arts Council members will be on hand daily during the Tiny Art Show to answer questions and to sell the tiny crafted art. 

For more information about the Tiny Art Show visit: www.holladayarts.org/2023-tiny-art