The Harvard Public Library hosted a “Tiny Art” show Saturday, Jan. 25, in Volunteers Hall. While the pieces on exhibit were no larger than a Post-It note, the creativity shown by the artists was enormous.
Abby Kingsbury, children’s librarian, got the idea for the event during one of her regularly scheduled meetings with other youth service librarians in the state. “I thought, ‘This is the coolest thing,’” Kingsbury said. The show encouraged all artistic mediums, providing participants with an opportunity to explore their creativity in their own unique ways.
There were three categories of submissions: kids, teens, and adults. The library offered participants 3-inch square canvases that could be picked up beginning in early December, but artists were not confined to the tiny squares.
Connie Barton’s miniature sweater on view at the Tiny Art show required tiny knitting needles. (Photo by Jen Manell)
Barbara Kemp and Connie Barton, for instance, used tiny needles to knit their creations. Barton’s “Hey Ewe,” a miniature sweater knitted with green yarn featuring an even smaller white sheep on the front, and included a miniature hanger she fashioned to attach the piece to the easel. It brought forth imaginings of a mouse’s closet.
Kemp entered one of her many tiny pumpkins into the exhibit and titled the piece “Pumpkin #14.” “I’ve made more than 14, but I just decided on that number for this one,” she said. “I love knitting tiny things. I don’t mind working with small needles. It’s in part because they’re so cute, but also it’s a project quickly done.”
Kingsbury estimated that more than 60 people attended the show throughout the day. There were plenty of notable submissions among the 38 pieces on display, from landscapes to unicorns, portraits to three-dimensional creations, and abstract art. One creative youth made a tiny replica of a “free library” while another painted a vegetable with sunglasses and a wry expression, and titled the piece “Sus Broccoli,” with “sus” being kid slang for suspicious.
Another kids standout was a drawing by fourth-grader and Harvard resident Neo Vangala, titled “Fire Sonic.” Bright reds and oranges popped off the tiny canvas in his replication of Sonic the Hedgehog from the popular video game and movie franchise.
“It was pretty difficult,” said Vangala. “At the start I was thinking I would only draw the head but then I drew the body and I realized I could fit it on the canvas. The hardest part was coloring in the small lines.” The budding artist used colored pencils, oil pastels, and a Sharpie to create his tiny masterpiece.
The success of the Tiny Art Show has Kingsbury intending to repeat the event in the summer. “I only heard positive feedback from attendees—both those who had contributed and the ones who came to see the art,” she said.
“I think it’s a wonderful idea,” said Kemp. “A lovely thing for the library to do. I love the kids’ ideas. It’s terrific to see so many youngsters contributing.”
