Not every work of art needs to span the breadth of the Sistine Chapel’s ceiling — sometimes the limitations of a small canvas can bring out an artist’s best work. The creative potential of tiny art is on full display at the Kariton Art Gallery, where artists of all ages have been tasked with transposing their big ideas onto little canvases.
Throughout the month of June, The Big Tiny exhibit has collected over 200 paintings, all submitted by members of the community. I spoke with Meghan Dahl, the gallery and events manager for the Abbotsford Arts Council, who laid down the rules for me: Anyone, of any age can submit their work, as long as the canvas used is four by four inches. If your piece happens to sell, “70 per cent goes to the artist, 30 per cent goes to the Arts Council.”
The reason for the size limitation? Dahl says it’s all about accessibility for first-time artists. “It’s less intimidating to start small… People find it a nice place to start, and it’s usually affordable to buy several [canvases] at a time.” There’s no need to worry about adhering to a particular theme either — the subject of your painting is up to you: “Anything goes. We get anything from abstracts to landscapes to animals… all kinds of things.”
The flexible criteria means that anyone of any skill level has an opportunity to see their own work on display — especially young artists who are just getting started. While visiting, I got the chance to speak with Ilse Pitzel, a high school student who found out about the gallery through her grandmother. Her painting, Dave the Candle-Man is a surrealist portrait of a well-dressed man (presumably Dave) with a burning candle for a head.
Pitzel’s piece feels right at home alongside an eclectic assortment of styles. Watercolour birds mingle with acrylic still lifes, and photography of fruit hangs next to Warholian pop art. If you happen to be visiting the Kariton Art Gallery on a whim, you can also use the art table to make a masterpiece of your own, and display it on the community board.
You might assume that the community’s appetite for art has diminished somewhat since the pandemic. However, despite being forced to go online for a spell, Meghan Dahl says community involvement in the arts is high: “We’re definitely seeing an increase… this year especially, 80 people attended the opening.” It seems that art is alive and well in Abbotsford.
The Big Tiny runs from June 4-25, but Dahl says visitors can catch the exhibit until June 30. Don’t worry if you miss it! This is only the second year that tiny paintings have been exhibited, and it’s reasonable to assume there will be a third Big Tiny. Not to mention, the gallery has many more projects and exhibitions coming down the pipeline, so stay tuned.
Matthew Iddon was born at an exceptionally young age. He aspires to one day become old. He currently resides.
