![Little free art galleries provide creative space for artists Little free art galleries provide creative space for artists](https://alextimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/9.26.24-MN-Little-Art-Gallery_V2-768x391.jpg)
![Share on Facebook Facebook](https://alextimes.com/wp-content/plugins/social-media-feather/synved-social/image/social/regular/96x96/48x48xfacebook.png.pagespeed.ic.8cb1RlQgpI.png)
![Share on Twitter twitter](https://alextimes.com/wp-content/plugins/social-media-feather/synved-social/image/social/regular/96x96/48x48xtwitter.png.pagespeed.ic.vT84AdtMYS.png)
![Share by email mail](https://alextimes.com/wp-content/plugins/social-media-feather/synved-social/image/social/regular/96x96/48x48xmail.png.pagespeed.ic.Nlvku25Rv1.png)
By Sandra Smith | ssmith@alextimes.com
Local artists and community members are invited to share their creativity through a variety of miniature art – sculptures, paintings, ceramics, jewelry and more – in Little Free Art Galleries that are appearing around Alexandria.
The Little Free Art Galleries operate similarly to Little Free Libraries. People can mail in or drop off their artwork, or exchange it with other pieces contributed by members of the community.
“Little kids will come by, drop off their art, and they’re just so excited. Anybody can be an artist – all you need is some paper and crayons,” Jennifer Mills, curator of the Little Free Art Gallery in Old Town, said.
Mills’s father died when she was 14, and art therapy became an outlet to help cope with the tragedy.
“I learned that art is such an amazing way to heal, both by creating and observing others work,” Mills said.
She said art is sometimes overwhelming or inaccessible, so the miniature art she promotes shows anybody that they can contribute to an artistic community.
“When I was in high school, our art teacher was young and hip – she always said that no matter what’s going on in your life, just come hang out in the art room and play with the art. It always made me feel better,” Mills said.
Mills, who currently works as a nurse, spent 20 years in the United States Navy, and during that time she had to put art and creativity on the back burner.
She rediscovered her old art tools during the COVID-19 pandemic and decided to begin painting on tiny cards. Mills hoped to build an artistic community and spread small pieces of joy during a time full of fear and sadness.
Before beginning her Little Free Art Gallery in June, Mills would post her painted cards on a local Buy Nothing group – a site where community members could give away their belongings to each other online.
Soon after, she began dropping the cards off at the Little Free Art Gallery in Del Ray, which is at the corner of Commonwealth and West Caton Avenues. She soon noticed that her art was getting more attention than she anticipated.
![](https://alextimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/LFRAG-9-scaled.jpg)
Abby Pardes, the curator of the Little Free Art Gallery in Del Ray, said one of the reasons she wanted to bring the gallery to Del Ray was to aid emerging artists in amplifying their recognition. The gallery opened in September 2021.
“The sign inside the gallery encourages contributors to include their contact information, Instagram accounts and website URLs so that I can mention them when I post pictures to promote their work,” Pardes wrote in an email to the Times.
Pardes graduated from the University of Maryland in 1985 with a degree in photojournalism. She currently works in graphic and web design for The American Association of Physicists in Medicine.
“I read a Washington Post article about free little art galleries popping up. As an artist, and particularly one who was avoiding public venues [during the pandemic] and not happy about it, I especially liked the idea of being able to view art without having to go into a crowded indoor space,” Pardes wrote.
Since Pardes lives on a corner in Del Ray that typically has a lot of foot traffic, she believed the gallery would easily take off. She bought the small wooden box, painted it, installed it on her fence and put some of her own digital creations in it.
Pardes has received many amazing pieces – from watercolors to fused glass – and appreciates the support system that this small gallery has offered to artists.
“The free little art gallery community has grown so much even in the past few years since I started mine,” Pardes wrote. “It is such a warm and welcoming community with the gallery curators as well as artists being so supportive of one another.”
The Del Ray gallery is around 18 by 11 inches – but each gallery can vary in size. The galleries in Alexandria contain a shelf, mini easels and a metal clip to accommodate different forms of art people are welcome to leave.
There are nine Little Free Art Galleries throughout Virginia – including in Annandale, Reston and Richmond. And, according to the Find a Free Little Art Gallery website, at least 31 states in the U.S. have galleries of their own. There are dozens of galleries across the globe as well, including in Canada, Germany, Poland, Sweden and South Africa.
Mills has received work from artists in Denmark and Australia, which makes the galleries a fun way to connect with artists globally.
“It’s a cool way to expose artists to new places that they wouldn’t see, or people who wouldn’t necessarily see their art,” Mills said.
The galleries have offered many new artists a larger following. Oftentimes, people who pick art up from the gallery will post photos of where it ended up – this collaborative method cultivates a connection between the artists and community members.
“It’s really cool for professional artists because they’ll drop off their art and it will be exposed to new people and places – so if you get this little free piece of art, you can go to their website and support them by buying their art,” Mills said.
If the art doesn’t get circulated within a week, Mills will typically send it to other art galleries so no piece gets left behind.
Because of Instagram, Mills and Pardes were able to expand each gallery and reach new communities. Little Free Art Gallery Old Town has gained nearly 700 followers since it began and Little Free Art Gallery Del Ray has gained more than 1,000.
“It’s a really nice community, and it’s really nice to get art into people’s hands who otherwise wouldn’t have access to it,” Mills said.
Whenever Mills travels out of town, she checks the Find a Free Little Art Gallery website and discovers new art from different artists.
“It’s a really cool way for emerging artists to get exposure and hopefully put art into people’s hands that it otherwise might not have been,” she said.
![Follow us on instagram instagram](https://alextimes.com/wp-content/plugins/social-media-feather/synved-social/image/social/regular/96x96/48x48xinstagram.png.pagespeed.ic.yB8PiG3Oxn.png)
![Share on Facebook Facebook](https://alextimes.com/wp-content/plugins/social-media-feather/synved-social/image/social/regular/96x96/48x48xfacebook.png.pagespeed.ic.8cb1RlQgpI.png)
![Share on Twitter twitter](https://alextimes.com/wp-content/plugins/social-media-feather/synved-social/image/social/regular/96x96/48x48xtwitter.png.pagespeed.ic.vT84AdtMYS.png)
![Share by email mail](https://alextimes.com/wp-content/plugins/social-media-feather/synved-social/image/social/regular/96x96/48x48xmail.png.pagespeed.ic.Nlvku25Rv1.png)