Comprised of 168 works by 54 artists from 15 states, the Council for the Arts’ “Miniature Art 2023” exhibit is kind of a big deal. The 39^th annual juried exhibition opened with a reception on Friday, Nov. 3, and it will be on display in the council’s gallery space (103 N. Main St.) until Dec. 23. The works can also be viewed and purchased on the council’s website.

The reception drew a big crowd to view the tiny works of art, some of which required a magnifying glass (provided by the council) to be fully appreciated. The official submission requirements stipulate that every piece in the show is 4” by 6” or smaller.

Guest juror Meredith Re’ Grimsley, chairperson of the Department of Visual Arts at Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania and professor of fabric design, bestowed this year’s “Best of Show” award to Linda Rossin’s “Odd Man Out.” The diminutive still-life depicts several green vegetables in a colander with a lone red tomato resting on a table on beside it. “Odd Man Out” was featured prominently on a pedestal display alongside its blue ribbon and a dedicated swing-arm magnifying glass.

In an interview during the reception, Gallery Coordinator Andrea Finch described “Odd Man Out” as “exquisite” and marveled that even under magnification “you can’t even see the brush strokes.”

“And she’s got reflections in the colander and the dust that’s on the table,” said Finch of the incredible level of detail contained in such small dimensions. “It’s insane what she’s managed to put in there.”

Creating miniature art introduces unique challenges in terms of both technique and perspective.

“It’s not just cropping,” Finch explained. “It’s approaching the subject in a small way to make a complete composition.”

As with artist of any size, the artists who excel at it are those who can turn restrictions into opportunities.

“For some artists, it comes naturally,” said Finch, who does not consider herself to be one of those artists. Finch is a studio art quilter whose pieces are often large-scale 3D sculptures. “I found it difficult to work small enough to be entered into the show.”

As the current gallery coordinator, Finch was not eligible to submit work for Miniature Art 2023, but several years ago she won “Best of Show” with a fiber piece that met the size requirements.

“It’s hard. I always suggest to artists that they buy their frame, get their mat and then make the image,” said Finch. “Most people will make the image and then race around trying to find a frame that’s small enough – because we have size requirements on the frame. It’s not really a standard frame.”

After artists submit their pieces to the council for consideration, they are laid out on tables covered with black cloth to minimize visual distractions. The juror will then examine them by walking among the tables and handling the pieces to see them from different perspectives.

“Every year, we never know what’s going to win because it depends on the judge,” said Finch. New jurors are selected each year, and they come with their own backgrounds and preferences.

The vast majority of the submissions are accepted into the show – so long as they follow the strict size requirements.

The council likes to see a variety of media represented in the miniature exhibit including oils, acrylics, pastels, fiber and 3D pieces.

Finch said that the council would also like to see more submissions from artists in Franklin County. She estimated that Franklin County account for about half of the submissions to “Miniature Art 2023.”

“We’re trying to get more people from Franklin County to enter,” she said. “We want to this to be not only a national show but also a regional show that everyone can enter and be a part of.”

While most of the artists took the approach of miniaturizing large objects and landscapes, Gettysburg-based artist jim mackey applied the technique to big concepts.

mackey is known in the area for his carved totems, which often stand between three and five feet tall. For the miniature exhibit, he made a smaller version out of cedar that could fit on a bookshelf or on a desk.

“It’s called ‘Pocket God,’” he said during the reception, “so if you don’t have a god, pull one out of your pocket.”

The smaller scale of the work required a change in technique.

“It took me being humble,” said mackey, “because I like big.”

He added: “Normally I use a chainsaw and a dremel. I did this solely with a dremel.”

The opening reception for the 39^th annual exhibit was held during a busy weekend for the council. They also hosted a ticketed gala fundraising event celebrating their 35^th anniversary on Saturday, Nov. 4.

Curiously, the miniature show is actually older than then council itself.