It was another banner year for miniatures and the mini world! A combination of main-stream media stories about miniatures, folks restricted at home due to the Covid-19 pandemic while discovering new things to do and the rise of the miniatures influencer has created an explosion of awareness and interest in the hobby and more folks than ever are becoming makers, collectors, and all-around enthusiasts!
There has been a rise in mainstream publication and media stories about miniatures this past from global sources including The Wall Street Journal, People Magazine, House Beautiful Magazine, The Observer, and The Washington Post, among others. In April 2021, L.A. based miniaturist Chris Toledo from www.christoledominiatures.com was featured in Architectural Digest with a terrific story about his amazing 1/12 scale structures inspired by classic architectural design found in Southern California and, specifically, Old Hollywood, which demonstrated the breadth and depth of dollhouse design and art to the delight of readers.
We saw the long-awaited launch of Little Canada, a new attraction located in Ontario, Canada which presents a small-scale version of this awesome country where guests can walk through and see the sights and feel like a giant! We also saw miniatures on the U.S. program Small Fortune on NBC-TV (inspired by the hit tv show from the UK of the same name), and the launch of Dopl at its flagship SoHo location in New York City which shrinks participants down in small scale and creates a 3D color printed version to help capture special moments in time, or to mark a special occasion or just because it’s fun!
The Covid-19 Pandemic forced miniaturists to look for alternative ways to showcase their work and share it with the world. The Little Free Art Gallery in Seattle Washington began the trend and shared miniatures in a tiny outdoor gallery, inviting viewers to share a piece of mini art or to take a piece from the gallery. A number of artists began creating work and hiding it around their neighborhoods and towns where they live including “SAM” (Instagram: @streetartminiature) on Instagram and Steve Wasterval, (AKA That Greenpoint Artist” IG @stevewasterval) who creates urban art miniatures replicating landmark storefronts and homes in his native Brooklyn, New York.
The last year has seen an incremental rise in the number of social media accounts showcasing miniatures with some account owners elevated to become miniatures influencers in our mini world. Some are makers and some are collectors, and some are both! In addition to my own Meet the Miniaturist series on YouTube, Becky Gannon (IG: @MadAboutMiniatures) has created a podcast Mad About Miniatures and Antavia Cherry (IG: @MyMiniatureLoves) conducts Instagram Live events featuring Mini Conversations with folks from the community. Some of the popular makers have created a whole new contemporary look and assortment of miniatures to the delight of collectors and hobbyists. (Photo below: Marina Neff from IG @Deck_to_Farm_Charm)
The excitement around miniatures this year was most evident at the recent Philadelphia Miniaturia show held last November where we saw the of the mini-influencer, the new popular makers and fans and enthusiasts coming together for a shared social experience filled with delight and excitement and fueling a modern miniatures movement!
It’s been such a great year in miniatures – there has been so many terrific things happening and I’m so excited to see what’s ahead for the mini world!
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Until Next Time Thank you for being a part of the
D. Thomas Miniatures Community!
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