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Get more bang for your buck at the Teeny Tiny Show

Over 70 Sea to Sky artists created mini-masterpieces for second annual exhibit
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small-minded The Teeny Tiny Show features more than 200 artworks no larger than three square inches. PHOTO submitted

The Teeny Tiny Show is back, and it's bigger than ever. Well, sorta.

The second annual Arts Whistler exhibit continues the tradition of asking participating artists to submit works that are no larger than three inches by three inches, but the show was such a hit last year that the field has ballooned to more than 70 Sea to Sky artists, who submitted over 200 works.

Arts Whistler director Maureen Douglas says the small artworks have made it more accessible for those who may have been on the fence about submitting.

"Maybe that small space, for the absolutely uninitiated, seems less intimidating than needing to fill out a huge canvas," she says. "It's about what you do with that space. Some of the images are so powerful and yet so small, it's fun (to see) what kind of punch they pack."

One local artist that was inspired to take part in last year's exhibit is 17-year-old Indigo Dipple, who sold both of the paintings she submitted. That emboldened her to continue pursuing her artistic career, leading to several commissions, including a line of hoodies she designed for the Whistler Sea Wolves Swim Club.

"Honestly, it was a really validating experience," said the recent high-school grad. "It's inspired me to work harder as an artist and get more involved."

Look out for three works Dipple created exclusively for this year's show: acrylic paintings of a bear, a moose, and a coyote. "I know for me, having such a small canvas to work on inspired (me) to make something really cute—small things are always cute," she adds.

Running from Sept. 10 to Oct. 14, The Teeny Tiny Show features a smorgasbord of artistic mediums, ranging from traditional paintings, fabric work, ceramics, screenprinting, and even three-dimensional pieces.

The size constraints, rather than limiting the scope of the work submitted, seems to have pushed artists outside of their comfort zones, Douglas says.

'I think it definitely advances creativity because there's this tiny space and what people have chosen to do with it is really fun," she notes. "They have to figure out how to make a statement with that."

The mini-masterpieces are available for purchase once again this year, and will go on sale at the official opening party on Sept. 21, from 7 to 9 p.m., in The Gallery at Maury Young Arts Centre, through to the end of the exhibit.

Unlike the vast majority of art you find hanging on gallery walls, the pieces in the Teeny Tiny Show won't cost you an arm and a leg; Douglas says that most works last year were in the $15 to $30 range.

"You're able to walk in and buy what you love, because the price, generally, is not going to be a barrier," she adds.

For more information, visit artswhistler.com/event/teeny-tiny-show-2.