The Little (Tiny) Gallery That Could

The news from the art world has often been quite destressing in the past months – galleries in trouble, museums closed and laying off personnel, myriads of events canceled. The creativity shown by several players of the artistic fields though has been heartening, from coming up with digital content to allow the public to connect with art even in the times of social distancing to completely rethinking the business-as-usual of the institutions.

Another creative answer to the current situation has been that of Boston-based painter and graphic designer Eben Haines, with his Shelter in Place Gallery. At first, glance, looking at the pictures posted on the Instagram account for the project, it appears as a conventional exhibition space, with an industrial look to it and plenty of natural lighting.  

B. Chehayeb, “rituals at the deli”, “cloud breath at good harbour” and “I’m always the party” (2020) on exhibition at Shelter in Place Gallery.

The particularity of this gallery though is that it is a doll-house-like miniature, measuring 20 by 30 inches (51 by 76 cm approximately). Haines initially asked family members and friends if they wanted to produce works at a 1:12 scale for the gallery, and then extended the invitation to artists of the Boston region through Instagram. In times in which galleries were closed, this gallery was founded and opened its minuscule doors.

Since the launch, nearly 20 exhibitions have been set up, exhibiting brand-new art pieces of the participants.

Haines envisioned Shelter in Place Gallery as an opportunity for artists to show works in a time in which conventional galleries have been forced to close, supporting hopefully their careers also when re-opening takes place. The project is strictly non-commercial, with any sales enquiries received by Shelter in Place redirected to the artists or their representing galleries. The pictures taken by Haines can be used by the artists also to showcase their works to grant programs and residency programs.

Haines’ hand to scale.

Wilhelm Neusser, “Untitled Bog Painting” (2020) on exhibition at Shelter in Place Gallery.

Artists have often also been prohibited from going to their studios, clearly restricting the possibility of creating grand-scale work. It is easily imaginable that producing a statue of a glittery hand, such as that of Pete Zoid, or a hanging latex installation, such as that of Mary Pedicini, in the middle of one’s living room can be problematic.  Creating tiny miniatures of the works for the time being is the alternative offered by Haines.

This little (in terms of size, not importance) project shows how art will find a way to get through tougher times, showcasing thinking-outside-the-box alternatives and proposing creative solutions. Additionally, one has to admire Haines’ dedication to creating a miniature gallery of such quality that in many pictures it is easily confused for a full-scale, non-Lilliputian space. The commitment is so extensive that even tiny crates and protective covers for the setting up of the exhibitions are produced.

The setting up of Matt Murphy’s exhibition.