DUNEDIN — It’s not too late to journey into the world of miniature masterpieces, and to be mesmerized by work that highlights the intricate details of small-scale art — but don’t wait long, because the 51st International Miniature Art Exhibition will conclude on Sunday, Feb. 15. The exhibition, presented by the Miniature Art Society of Florida, is on display at the Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art, 600 E. Klosterman Road, on the Tarpon Springs campus of St. Petersburg College.
This MASF exhibition features more than 500 exquisite miniature works from around the globe and more than 100 miniatures from the society’s permanent collection.
This is one of the most anticipated shows in the Tampa Bay area each year. Visitors will be amazed by the delicate refinement and exquisite details within these tiny masterpieces. There are paintings, fired porcelain, pastel, colored pencil, and sculptures — which include works created by some of the world’s finest miniature artists. Since entries come from 21 states and six countries, the show provides a wonderful diversity of subject matter, media, and frames.
Throughout the duration of the exhibition, visitors can talk to and observe artists while they demonstrate their techniques including oil painting, scrimshaw, drawing, sculpture and more. Many artists create their work under magnification, using a variety of mediums and methods and the tiniest of brushes for paintings.
Demonstrators may come from as far away as England, Canada, and across the United States and Florida.
Admission is by suggested $10 donation. The best way to view these miniature gems is in-person but people can still view the show, even if you are out-of-state or out-of-country, because it will be online. To view the online show, visit www.miniature-art.com.
The Miniature Art Society of Florida is one of several nonprofit groups in the United States involved in contemporary miniaturism. Founded in 1974 in Clearwater by Bede Zel Angle, a Dunedin artist and teacher, it has grown from two dozen early organizers to more than 400 members in the United States and several foreign countries. Now headquartered in Dunedin, it has brought the area and Florida to the forefront in the rising resurgence of interest in miniature art.
Opened to the public in 2002, LRMA is a modern and contemporary art museum with a collection of more than 7,000 works of 20th and 21st century art. The museum’s permanent collection includes works by Abraham Rattner, a renowned figurative expressionist; Esther Gentle, Rattner’s second wife and a printmaker, sculptor, and painter; Allen Leepa, Rattner’s stepson and an abstract expressionist artist; and an extensive collection of works by notable 20th century artists such as Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall, Fernand Léger and Henry Moore. The museum is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, a distinction held by only 3% of all U.S. museums.
Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday; and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Admission by suggested donation of $10. The museum is closed on Mondays and major holidays. Additional information is available at leeparattner.org.