By JULIE CARLE
BG Independent News
Bowling Green’s vibrant art community just got a teeny, tiny bit bigger.
A new art venue lives outside the Grounds for Thought backdoor. Taken from a page in the Little Library genre is the new sensation—The Tiny Art Gallery.
The teeny, tiny, little art gallery, created, curated and installed by local artist Jax Foster, introduces the community to the joy and awe of miniature artwork.
The Tiny Art Gallery’s first installation, which was unveiled April 5, features artwork by seven artists who showcase their talents on canvases that are well… tiny.
No bigger than a dollhouse—one of Foster’s favorite childhood toys—The Tiny Art Gallery invites passersby into a world measured not in square feet, but in inches. Most of the pieces inside are just two inches wide. And yet, somehow, they don’t feel small at all.
The gallery is peekable through a locked, plexiglass front. And peering inside shows not only 11 remarkable art pieces but the settings of an art gallery. Inside, figurine-sized visitors are standing around and sitting on modern little benches, admiring the masterpieces. Miniature plants, a vase with itsy-bitsy flowers, and the cutest little Ben’s-provided charcuterie board you’ve ever seen, including a bottle of wine) complete the artsy ambiance.
The gallery is a cast-off Little Library box that someone gave to Foster, but unlike Little Libraries, where books are freely shared, the art gallery is a view-only exhibition. While visitors don’t take art from the gallery, they do take an appreciation of the burgeoning local arts culture.
The idea was born from the need for a local venue for Foster and their artist friends to show their tiny two- and three-dimensional artwork.
“There are not a lot of shows for little, tiny things,” Foster said. “I just wanted to give people more of a chance to get their work out there.”
And as a member of the Bowling Green Arts Council, they know the importance of community involvement. “I think including the community and sharing our art is how we keep art alive and moving forward,” Foster said.
The display is also “something everybody can benefit from in these tough times,” they added. “Grounds for Thought is a nice little ray of sunshine in people’s mornings, whether for a cup of coffee, a pastry or a meeting with a friend; I thought maybe we could add a little bit more, and boost visibility and awareness for these artists.”
Bringing the niche market of small art to the community was important, but the foundational impetus was to provide an artist-led initiative for small-scale art and to support struggling artists with a low-cost opportunity.
“The main goal is to facilitate more opportunities for us by us, for artists that maybe don’t have the means to pay $100 to get something into a gallery,” Foster said.
Artists interested in being part of one of the future galleries, at a cost of $5 per entry, can contact Foster via the gallery’s Instagram account: @bgtinygallery
Most of the artists for this first exhibition are connections from the Transcendence Art Show developed by Foster a few years ago for artists, regardless of gender identity or expression.
The artists, identified by their social media name, who are featured in the first month’s gallery include:
- Foster, best known by their artist ID of @thistle.and.berry, is a local oil painter focusing on your favorite foods and your favorite people. They focus on connecting queer artists and contributing to their local art community. View their work on the lower left panel
- @teciiart is your favorite local tattoo apprentice. Catch him at Broad Wing drawing up some sick traditional work! Be sure to follow his socials and watch him transfer his artistic capabilities onto skin. View his pieces displayed on the top right panel.
- @maevendara may be new to the local art scene, but her passion and skill come through in every medium she touches from painting to photography. Follow her brand new art page to give her the boost she deserves! View her piece on the bottom right panel (left piece).
- @stumptstudios specializes in all things fiber, encouraging a sense of curiosity and wonder in their work. Fiber arts are their preferred mediums, but expect many mediums from this maker! View their embroidered necklace, keychain, or pin “squiggles” on the upper left panel (top).
- @woottherobot is an embroidery and multimedia artist based out of Columbus. They focus on nature, humanity, and comfort. Enjoy one of their earlier works on the upper left panel (left/not for sale).
- Logan is a young, queer, multimedia artist in BG. Much of their art centers around mushrooms, and they often find hands on inspiration through foraging. View their piece on the top left panel (right). Their contact information is: loganmoon5ogor@proton.me
- @calcitecrane.bsky.social (on BlueSky) is a multimedia artist specializing in whimsy and color. His pieces are bright and intoxicating by nature and focus on a wide variance of themes. View their work on the lower right pane!
Many of the art pieces in the gallery are available for purchase by contacting the artist directly or sending a direct message (DM) to The Tiny Art Gallery, @bgtinygallery.
The gallery shows will change out monthly “during the warm, walking months,” and welcomes entries from everyone.
The Tiny Gallery arrived at a moment when “Times are pretty tough.” Foster said. “It’s not trying to solve anything grand.”.
Instead, it offers something smaller, and maybe more necessary: a reason to pause, a moment of brightness, and a reminder that creativity doesn’t have to be big to be meaningful
“The tiny artwork just draws you in and feels special—like a little treasure. Simply, there is magic to be found in tiny places.”
