♪ ERIN: YOU HAVE HEARD IT BEFORE.
BIGGER ISN’T ALWAYS BETTER, GOOD THINGS COME IN SMALL PACKAGES, SMALL BUT MIGHTY.
AT NAHCOTTA GALLERY IN PORTSMOUTH, LITTLE WORKS OF ART PROVE A LARGE CANVAS ISN’T NEEDED TO MAKE A BIG IMPACT.
TWICE A YEAR, SMALL MASTERPIECES TAKE CENTER STAGE AT THE DOWNTOWN GALLERY.
OWNER DEB THOMPSON SAYS THE BIANNUAL ENORMOUS TINY ART SHOW MAKES BEAUTIFUL PIECES OF ART ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYONE.
>> LIKE GREAT IDEAS ALWAYS HAPPEN, I WAS IN THE SHOWER AND I THOUGHT I WONDER IF ONE WAY WE COULD KIND OF HELP BREAK DOWN THE BARRIER OF PEOPLE BUYING ORIGINAL ART WAS JUST TO SHOW
SMALL WORK, JUST SMALL WORK.
YOU CAN SEE PAINTING, SCULPTURE, YOU CAN SEE COLLAGE, YOU CAN SEE DRAWINGS, YOU CAN SEE EMBROIDERY.
IT’S PRETTY VAST.
ERIN: THE ONLY RULE, IT HAS TO BE 10-BY-10-BY-10, INCHES THAT IS.
>> IT’S BOTH GEOGRAPHICALLY DIVERSE IN TERMS OF WHO WE WORK WITH, SUBJECT MATTER, PRICE POINT.
IT USE TO BE THAT WE WOULD CAP THE PRICE AND NOW THERE IS IS SOMETHING IN THE SHOW THAT IS $80 AND THERE IS SOMETHING THAT IS $1000.
SO IT’S REALLY A HUGE VARIETY AND WE HAVE A PRETTY STRONG LOCAL CONTINGENT TOO WHICH IS WONDERFUL BECAUSE THEY BRING THEIR FRIENDS AND COMMUNITIES IN.
ERIN: STACEY DURAND IS ONE OF THOSE LOCAL ARTISTS.
BY DAY, STACEY RUNS AN ART GALLERY IN EXETER, BUT IN HER DOWNTIME SHE TRANSPORTS PEOPLE TO NEW NEIGHBORHOODS THROUGH HER ART.
>> MY PIECES ARE A LITTLE BIT MORE ABSTRACTED IN A WAY.
THEY’RE STILL RECOGNIZABLE AS BUILDINGS AND AS NEIGHBORHOODS AND STREETS BUT THEY ARE NEIGHBORHOODS AND HOUSES THAT ARE NOT ACTUALLY TOGETHER IN THE REAL WORLD.
SO I TAKE THEM FROM DIFFERENT PLACES A LOT OF IT IS JUST, I LIKE HOW THESE TWO HOUSES LOOK TOGETHER, OR SOME OF IT JUST HAPPENS.
I WILL JUST HAVE A STACK OF PHOTOS AND I’LL NOTICE THIS IS KIND OF COOL, THIS SIDEWALK IN FRONT OF THIS HOUSE MATCHES THE LINE OF THE STAIRS IN THIS HOUSE OR THE SHINGLES ON THIS HOUSE IN
PORTSMOUTH MATCH UP WITH THIS HOUSE IN NEWMARKET AND I’LL JUST PUT THEM TOGETHER.
ERIN: SHE HAS BEEN A PART OF THE ENORMOUS TINY ART SHOW SINCE THE BEGINNING.
THE LOVER OF STRAIGHT LINES DOESN’T ALWAYS WORK SMALL, BUT ENJOYS THE CHALLENGE.
>> I REALLY ENJOY WORKING SMAL I HAVE WORKED LARGER, BUT I REALLY ENJOY THE SMALLER PIECES.
YOU CAN EXPERIMENT A LOT MORE AND FINISH THEM QUICKER.
I LIKE CREATING THEM AND I LIKE IT WHEN PEOPLE FIND SOMETHING IN ONE OF THE PIECES THAT SPEAKS TO THEM AND THEY TAKE IT HOME REALLY, IT’S WHAT YOU LIKE.
YOU CAN LIKE SOMETHING AND NOT KNOW WHY, YOU CAN TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHY BUT IT REALLY COMES DOWN TO FINDING SOMETHING THAT SPEAKS TO YOU.
I THINK WENDY TINY ART SHOW HAS SO MANY DIFFERENT ARTISTS, YOU CAN GO IN THERE AND ANYONE CAN SAY I LIKE THAT, OR THAT SPEAKS TO ME, OR THAT’S REALLY CREATIVE.
ERIN: FROM ARCHITECTURAL COLLAGE TO A WORLD OF WHIMSY, KIM FERREIRA IS A PORTSMOUTH ARTIST WHO INVITES YOU INTO A FANTASY WORLD WITH HER LATEST SERIES.
>> THIS NEW SERIES WITH THE ANIMALS IS SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED ABOUT 1.5 YEARS AGO IT STARTED WHEN I HAD MY LITTLE GIRL.
ERIN: WHEN ASKED TO DESCRIBE THIS SERIES, SHE ADMITS IT SOUNDS A LITTLE ODD, BUT HER CREATURES ARE FLYING OFF TO NEW HOMES AND CONNECTING WITH ART LOVERS ALL OVER THE GLOBE.
>> ANTHROPOMORPHIC WOODLAND CRITTERS WHO ARE SORT OF ENJOYING THE SMALL THINGS I ENJOY IN LIFE.
THE BACKDROPS ARE INSPIRED BY ROCOCO PAINTINGS SO THEY ARE VERY FANCIFUL AND WHIMSICAL SCENES OF THE FOREST.
I HAVE THIS RULE FOR MYSELF.
IF AN ANIMAL CAN’T ANATOMICALLY DO SOMETHING, LIKE I WOULD NEVER PAINT A WOLF HOLDING A GLASS OF WINE OR RIDING A BICYCLE, BECAUSE THEY CAN’T DO THOSE THINGS, WHICH IS SILLY BECAUSE I
KNOW A SQUIRREL CAN’T KNIT A SWEATER, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE HE COULD.
THEY ARE DEFINITELY COMING FROM A PLACE OF JOY FOR ME, I AM IN A GOOD PLACE IN MY LIFE RIGHT NOW, I AM REALLY HAPPY, IT’S SORT OF A CELEBRATION OF ALL THESE THINGS.
ERIN: KIM IS AN ENORMOUS TINY ART REGULAR, AND AS A FORMER GALLERY OWNER HERSELF, LOVES HOW THE TINY ART BRINGS IN PEOPLE FROM ALL BACKGROUNDS, NOT AFRAID OR INTIMIDATED BY THE IDEA OF
PURCHASING ORIGINAL PIECES >> IT’S SO GREAT TO HAVE WORK THAT’S ACCESSIBLE TO PEOPLE AND TO SEE SO MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF WORK BY PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER TOGETHER IN ONE SPACE AT ONE
TIME.
ERIN: AS ENORMOUS TINY ART GROWS, SO DOES THE LIST OF ARTISTS AND ART BUYERS WANTING TO BE A PART OF IT ALL.
>> SOME OF OUR BEST CLIENTS WE HAVE NEVER MET, WHICH IS A WILD THING.
THEY LIVE IN D.C., THEY LIVE IN CALIFORNIA, THEY LIVE IN NEW YORK.
AND WE ALSO HAVE A LOT OF FIRST TIME BUYERS IN THE SHOW.
THIS IS THEIR FIRST PIECE OF ART, THEY MAY BE 20-SOMETHING OR THEY MAY BE 50-SOMETHING.
THEY’VE SEEN IT, THEY CAN RELATE TO IT, THEY HAVE A REACTION TO IT AND SAY I CAN DO THIS.
I AM NOT AFRAID TO MAKE THIS PURCHASE.
ERIN: IT’S NOT EASY TO GET ONE OF THE COVETED SMALL SPOTS ON THE WALL, BUT DEB AND HER TEAM ARE DETERMINED TO CONTINUE TO BRING IN A DIVERSE CROP THAT SPARK JOY AND HAVE SOMETHING FOR
EVERYONE.
>> WE ARE LOOKING FOR SOMETHIN WE DON’T ALREADY HAVE.
WE ARE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING THAT SPARKS SOMETHING IN US THAT MAKES US FEEL COMPELLED, THAT MAKES US FEEL INTERESTED