The Little Museum of Art currently features artwork from our third annual Student Exhibition.

Launched in the summer of 2021, The Fralin’s Little Museum of Art was inspired by a desire to engage with the community during the museum’s closure and provide an opportunity to highlight the artwork of local and student artists. This miniature museum consists of six galleries, each measuring approximately one foot square, and showcases tiny works on a rotating basis.  At the close of each exhibition, the artwork is moved to the Free Little Museum Store. In the spirit of the Free Little Libraries, the public can take a piece or swap with one of their own, sharing art throughout the community. The Little Museum of Art and the Little Museum Store are located outside on the Cornell Plaza and are on view 24 hours a day.

For more information contact Lisa Jevack.  

CALL FOR ARTISTS! Exhibition opening June 6.

The idea for the upcoming Little Museum show is inspired by our current exhibition, Madayin: Eight Decades of Aboriginal Australian Bark Paintings from Yirrkala. We are seeking art that has been created with natural materials from our region here in Virginia, or from the land where you live or where you are from. For example, using pigments created with local red clay, native flowers or berries, paper made from pulp of local trees, native plants, etc.

While we are admirers of Aboriginal art, admiration can easily shift into appropriation. And while we can follow the same creative processes, we still must use our own connection to our Country to produce art and challenge ourselves with local material and knowledge. Your work should tell your story or reflect your connection to that land.

Deadline to submit application is Friday May 31. Artists will be notified by June 1.

• The gallery walls in The Little Museum are 12"x12" and the dimensions of the artwork may not exceed 6"x6" (including any frames). 3-dimensional works should not exceed 6" H and 3" in diameter.
• The theme of the exhibition is inspired by the land of our region, the land where you live or where you are from. Your artwork must contain or be made natural materials and items found from the land. Your work should tell a story or reflect your connection to that land.
• The artwork must be original; not scaled-down reproductions.
• Part of the mission of The Little Museum is to share the art with the public after the closing of the exhibition, by placing it into our Little Free Store (the art version of the Little Free Library). In exchange, artists are compensated with Visa gift cards at $25 per piece. If you are a registered vendor with UVA you may submit an invoice to receive payment. Please keep this value in mind when creating the work you would like to submit. If you wish to keep your work, you can indicate that in the application. You will be responsible for collecting it at the museum, following the exhibition. We will not ship artwork.

For more information, submission requirements, and to apply, click here to access the online form.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does the artwork need to be smaller than the indicated specifications?

The Little Museum of Art is literally a miniature display—imagine a dollhouse version of a museum—divided into six separate areas that are each approximately 1 square foot. The walls measure approximately 12”x12”, which means we can only display small-scale artwork that fits within the stated parameters.

The artist application states that “artwork will become the property of The Fralin Museum of Art”. Will you please explain what this means?

Upon the closing of each Little Museum exhibition, the artwork gets placed into another miniature display box near the Little Museum where it is available to the public, and we encourage those who partake to take and leave a piece of art. This aspect of the program was inspired by the Free Little Library movement.  Because we are asking artists to hand over their work to us, they are compensated with a stipend. How much is the stipend that artists receive? Artists are typically compensated per piece, and that information is provided upon completion of the application. For more specific information on current stipend amounts, please contact Lisa Jevack at [email protected].

If I want to submit my artwork for consideration, does it need to be matted and framed?

Artwork needs to be ready-to-hang. That can mean framed, however we do not recommend matting or professional framing. The best type of frames are inexpensive, lightweight plastic frames typically found at craft or discount stores.

I just can’t visualize what the Little Museum is!

Then we encourage you to stop by and visit! The great thing about the Little Museum, is that it is always open and available to view, outside on our front plaza.

Photos: Coe Sweet