Mundos Pequeños: Miniatures from the John Gaston Fairey Collection of Mexican Folk Art will continue AMSET’s annual summer tradition of exhibiting works from the permanent collection. It will be on view in tandem with a second permanent collection exhibition titled Dreams, Screams & Fantastical Things. Mundos Pequeños will include over 20 miniature artworks made from a variety of materials. These will include miniature masks, nativity scenes, trees of life, altars, and micro-woven textiles. Large versions of these objects, such as masks and trees of life, will be exhibited alongside the miniatures to demonstrate size differences. Creating miniatures is a time honored tradition in Mexico and pre-dates Spanish colonialism. Miniatures are often modeled after every-day functional items, but can also include non-functional art objects. Miniatures demonstrate the high quality of Mexican craft, as well as a whimsical element of Mexican culture.

The exhibition will continue to add scholarly research to the museum’s Fairey Collection, as well as provide insight to visitors about the long tradition of making miniatures in Mexico. It will include a free gallery guide with an essay written by Curator of Exhibitions, Caitlin Clay, about the history of Mexican miniatures, and an installation in the Conn Take pART Education Gallery showcasing miniatures created by and owned by local artists and collectors. If you have a miniature you would be interested in sharing with our visitors, contact Caitlin Clay at [email protected].