A group of Armstrong area artists have taken the tiny house craze to a whole new level.
The Armstrong Spallumcheen Museum and Art Gallery has just opened an exhibition where all the pieces fit inside a dollhouse.
The brainchild of Armstrong artists Jamie Frazer and Cat Majors, the exhibition features 25 furnished dollhouses, which are accompanied by miniature paintings, and have been contributed by area residents.
“You have to know when Jamie Frazer and Cat Majors come at you after having a dream scheming session that you might be in for a bit of a roller coaster ride,” said gallery administrator Sherry MacFarlane. “To be fair some of the responsibility should be put at the feet of our local gal, Wendy Armstrong–Taylor. When she told Jamie her dollhouse story about a very special dollhouse her mother had made for her, well, anyone who knows Jamie knows that was like waving a red flag in front of a bull and she was off like the energizer bunny.”
Frazer’s intent with the show is to allow people to reminisce over the fond memories of their childhood and revisit those times.
“My intent is to provide a venue to be able to go back and spend time remembering and reflecting on those happy memories, and if visitors are able to do that with their children and grandchildren it becomes even more poignant,” she said. “What better way to escape for a little while and be able to say, ‘I had one of those,’ or ‘I remember playing with that over at my best friend’s.’ It is part of what has shaped us into the person we are today.”
Those who enter the gallery will see dollhouses ranging from large to small. Some are vintage, some are homemade, others are store bought or rescued from garage sales and second hand stores. They also come from all different eras.
“Each dollhouse has a story like Kelly’s, whose house was built by her grandmother, or Laura’s, whose house was built by her grandfather, and Cat’s and Bev’s houses, made by their fathers. We even have a couple that are looking for new families in a silent auction,” said MacFarlane.
Dollhouses continues at the Armstrong Spallumcheen Art Gallery, 3415 Pleasant Valley Rd., until Oct. 31. Also featured this month is artist Shirley Markin and her show, From A to V, in the Freeze Gallery.
Gallery hours are Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
