The Tiny Art Exhibit, sponsored and organized by the Holladay Arts Council, ran from Feb. 5-10. The show featured the artwork of 146 artists of all ages and 402 pieces of art in all medium creation techniques, including watercolor, acrylic, oil, textile and sculpture. The art show guidelines required all pieces to be under 9 inches in length and width. 

Amateur and professional artists throughout the Salt Lake Valley were represented in the nonjuried exhibit, with selected art pieces ranging in price from $10 to $700 for collector pieces created by renowned artists. 

“What I most enjoy about this art show is seeing a professional artist's work, an artist who has been studying and selling art for years, such as well-known professional artist Erin Barrett, shown right next to a beginning artist like 6-year-old artist Deanna Griffiths,” Holladay Arts and Culture Manager Megan Attermann said. “This is what community arts is all about.”

Former Holladay Arts Council member Beckie Rock managed the show this year and exhibited several pieces of her miniature art. She studied illustration and web design at Salt Lake Community College and continues to volunteer time as the webmaster for the Arts Council website. 

According to Rock, a 2- to 3-inch landscape painting complete with all the components and executed with a one-hair brush would require the same amount of time to craft as painting the same scene on a larger canvas.

The art exhibit is an accessible way for many people looking to begin an art collection to adorn the walls in their offices or homes with inspirational art pieces. 

“The best thing about this show is that the art is small, so people can come and imagine something in their home in a little spot,” Rock said. “The talent and creativity of the artists is incredible. Also, it’s fun to watch non-artists come to the show and be creative in their minds. They can walk into a scene and imagine themselves there, or the art inspires them to start painting.”  

Cheryl Walden, a retired graphic designer, said this was her first time participating in the Tiny Art Exhibit. As a lifelong artist, she enjoys exploring different mediums of art, and recently, she has become interested in tiny book crafting illustrated in vibrant acrylics.

“I enjoy looking at the varied art mediums at the tiny show,” Walden said. “Several of the mediums used in the art this year are new to me. There are several paintings of birds, and I just love looking at the detail in those small pieces.”  

Holladay Arts Council member Bonnie Nell enjoyed volunteering time, selling art at the exhibit, and talking with community members attending the show. This year, she was particularly interested in seeing the artistic growth of artists who have displayed their art in the show for the last three years.

“There’s a veterinarian in this year's show who had never participated in an art show until she entered one of the tiny art exhibits,” Nell said. “We’ve enjoyed watching her progress as an artist with each show she enters. The Holladay Arts Council is trying to support artists in the community so they can produce art that can be seen, enjoyed, and purchased by the public away from the notoriety of a gallery, juried show, or an expensive art festival.” 

For more information about art events in the Holladay community, visit the Holladay Arts Council website at holladayarts.org. λ