TINY GALLERY
Calgary is (finally) starting to warm up. Warm up temperature wise, meaning we have finally reached temperatures above zero on the thermometer, and also warming up to the idea of bringing art to the street. A new local initiative founded by Peter Meadows allows artists to display their tiny art in the three plinths located along 1st Ave NE. This morning I had the pleasure of walking the street to check out the plinths containing art by artists Emma Bresola and Melissa Centofanti.
The artists met recently at the City of Calgary Public Art “Artists Working in Community” course. They quickly discovered their talents to be complementary and created a team for community art projects. Bresola and Centofanti are versatile and flexible artists based in Calgary, Alberta. Both artists use a variety of traditional (acrylic and watercolour painting, oils and canvas) and non traditional art materials (technology, community performance) to create their work. They both tend to work conceptually as the materials used are dictated by the idea. The first project they have collaborated on are accordion style artist books. There is currently a series of three 3 1/4 X 28 ” books that have been created to illustrate three different forms of art. Dance Music and Theatre are illuminated through the pages of these relatively small books. This project has been named OpenBook. It is Emma and Melissa’s vision to use these books to inspire others to use their creativity in facilitated workshops in various neighbourhoods throughout Calgary.
Lukes Drug Mart Plinth, 112 4th St NE
Baya Rica Cafe Plinth, 204 7A St NE
Bridgeland Market Plinth, 1104 1 Ave NE
The Tiny Gallery project builds small, enclosed plinths, and places them on pedestrian-friendly Calgary streets. The project aims to bridge the gaps between street art,
gallery art, and public art, simultaneously helping local artists reach a larger audience and making art more accessible to the general public of all ages. Another amazing thing about the Tiny Gallery is, you can view art 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at your leisure. Pop-up art galleries break down the barrier between people and art, connecting the people and art with-out the formal constraints of “open hours” and gallery attendant supervision, which can hinder the experience of the art. Pop-up galleries are the way of the future. Pop up stores have been popular in Calgary over the past few years, and now art is following suit. Tiny Gallery also encourages pedestrian exploration of Calgary communities and promotes locally owned businesses. The project was founded by Peter Meadows in 2013, and the first plinth went up outside Bridgeland Market in February 2014.
Physically, a Tiny Gallery plinth has a similar footprint to a Canada Post Street Letter Box, but is about 2.1 m (7 ‘) tall. The middle, main section of the gallery consists of a polycarbonate-walled box, approximately 45 cm (18 “) wide x 45 cm (18 “) deep x 60 cm (24 “) tall, which is the actual exhibit space. The whole structure is topped with a water-proof, sloped roof. Art contained within a Tiny
Gallery plinth is thus protected from wind and precipitation, though not from cold, heat, or sunlight.
Plinths are currently being hosted by the following local Bridgeland businesses:
• Bridgeland Market, 1104 1 Ave NE
• Baya Rica Cafe, 204 7A St NE
• Lukes Drug Mart, 112 4th St NE
Take the time to walk 1st Ave NE, Calgary, anytime bewteen now and June 7, 2014 to experience Tiny Gallery for youself.
