It was exciting to see younger artists and vendors at the 2017 Philadelphia Miniaturia show in Chestnut Hill, NJ. As many of us have discussed in recent years, the world of miniatures has traditionally appealed to older folks. It will be difficult to sustain miniatures as a viable art or craft if it doesn’t bring in younger folks. Fortunately some of those younger artists and vendors were at the show and here I can highlight a few of them. Sorry for those artists and vendors I missed or forgot to photograph.
In the exhibits room, several young artists showed exciting pieces. Amanda Kelly, of Big Apple Miniaturists, created the”Golden Bat Tattoo Shop,” a highly detailed and perfectly scaled tattoo parlor. It was definitely a crowd favorite, not just because of the quality of the work but also because of the more edgy choice content.
Colleen O’Connor created a fairy garden called, “World Championship Poker.” She made all the elements in the display with many of them delightfully odd and funny.
T. Smith displayed one of the first miniatures he ever created. It is a reproduction of a scene from the movie Revolutionary Road. He researched and designed the furniture to match those in the movie scene.
It was also nice to see some young vendors including Stephanie D. Watt (Imagination Miniatures) and Lisa N. Meyer (Minis with Magic) who were vending together as “Mini Maniacs Miniatures.” I especially liked their garden miniatures and those related to magic.
The Wonder of Miniature Worlds 