A big month for tiny art: Hilton Head’s latest gallery opening riffs on free libraries
A new arts initiative, inspired by free miniature libraries in neighborhoods across the country, launched this month across Hilton Head Island.
Its organizers swapped books for minuscule easels and matching canvases, placing “tiny free art galleries” in gated communities and public spaces, the Town of Hilton Head Island’s Office of Cultural Affairs announced in a news release on Thursday.
The galleries come with simple instructions: take a piece of art, leave a piece of art or simply stop by to enjoy the show.
The five-foot tall light gray wooden boxes showcase neatly arranged local art pieces that can fit in the palm of your hand.
The galleries, produced in partnership with the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina and the Art League of Hilton Head, have found homes in four gated communities and several public spaces. Residents and visitors can find them at the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina on Shelter Cove Lane and the Shops at Sea Pines Center on the south end.
By the end of the month, organizers intend to place more at the Art League Academy on Cordillo Parkway and Beautiful Island Square on Marshland Road.
The program, part of the Office of Cultural Affairs’ Community Creates Initiative, is “a public forum to highlight local artists and resident amateur artists, creating a space to showcase their (tiny) work,” said Jennifer McEwen, the town’s director of cultural affairs, in a statement.
“I think we can all use a little whimsy in our lives right now,” McEwen added.
