TL;DR
- Artist McKay Lenker Bayer has built the Tiny Art Show, a miniaturized exhibition project that showcases original art in unexpected, small-scale venues.
- The most recent iteration repurposed a disused stairwell in Provo, Utah into a 1:6-scale functioning gallery space, complete with tiny exhibits, tiny labels, and even miniature refreshments.
- The project highlights how scaling down art to tiny size can invite different engagement, make owning original art more accessible and prompt viewers to slow down and notice the little things.
What is the Tiny Art Show and how did it start?
The Tiny Art Show began as a highly creative solution to an art-class assignment. While studying at Brigham Young University in 2016, McKay Lenker Bayer decided to showcase her tiny paintings at baseboard level, with mini labels and magnifying glasses — inviting viewers to crouch down and engage with the work in a different way.
From that seed grew a community-focused project. By 2018, the Tiny Art Show had officially launched, moving into pop-up spaces — from library cubbies to window ledges in Provo — and inviting local artists to produce miniature works sized for a dolls-house world.
What’s happening now: the 1:6-Scale Gallery in Provo
In its most ambitious form yet, the Tiny Art Show now occupies a permanent (albeit tiny) gallery space in downtown Provo. Built into a former stairwell, the gallery is constructed at roughly one-sixth scale — meaning everything is scaled down (walls, windows, furniture, even refreshments).
Visitors peer through a tiny storefront, lean in, crouch down and engage with artworks that are small but serious. Original works by participating artists are displayed for sale in this miniature environment. The result is an immersive experience where size is inverted: the viewer becomes large in relation to the tiny world.
Why this project matters
Re-thinking scale and engagement in art: By deliberately shrinking the space and works, the Tiny Art Show encourages close observation, slowing down and active curiosity. As Bayer herself notes, the project invites people to “notice the little things” and rediscover wonder.
Accessibility & ownership: The miniature format allows for lower cost works and alternative gallery formats. It places original art in the reach of more people, breaking down traditional gallery barriers.
Community & novelty: The project operates in unexpected locations, generating interest by virtue of its scale and surprise. It also underscores how small innovations can make big cultural impact.
Visit info & what to watch
- Location: 35 N. University Avenue, Provo, Utah.
- Current/open exhibitions: The gallery rotates monthly, featuring a new local artist in each installation.
- Experience: Because the space is tiny, only a few people can view a show at once. Expect to crouch, lean and engage with miniature art and tiny refreshments.
- What to watch for: New color-themes, guest artists of note (Bayer recently teased a “bucket-list artist”), expansion of the mail-out “Tiny Times” mini-newspaper, and perhaps traveling pop-ups.
