A new art exhibit popped up in Provo this summer. If you're walking down University Avenue, you might just miss it, but if you look a little closer, you'll find The Tiny Gallery.
The Tiny Art Show was created by BYU alumna McKay Lenker Bayer in 2018, but it didn't have a permanent location until this year.
It's an interactive exhibit that invites visitors to crawl inside every Saturday from 5-8 p.m.
"It's been really rewarding to have a vision and see it come to life so perfectly," Bayer said.
As an art education major at BYU, she got inspiration from a class project where they were instructed to create a creative art installation.
For hers, she set tiny paintings down on the ground and left magnifying glasses next to the inconspicuous display.
Once graduated, she balanced her passion project and work in creative ways. The tiny art show used to travel, using different locations as its home.
Now, the space sits permanently in what used to be a stairwell between the Black Sheep Cafe and Rockwell Ice Cream. It features alternating exhibits by different local artists.
This installation was done by artist Nicole Parish, who works with insects.
"I've been collecting insects since I was three years old, so I just use the insects from my collection as reference. I'll pose them to the side, like on some styrofoam, and then just use that to reference for my paintings," she said.
At her opening night, Parish even dressed up for the occasion.
"It was really fun. I dressed up as a fairy with polyphemus moth wings to the show," she said.
The gallery offers tiny booklets that explain each piece and gives visitors something to take home.
"It's so satisfying. I do feel like this is a unique experience because it's miniature, but it's also fully functional and interactive. People can come and see it, but the art is really original art," Bayer said. "They can get a tiny booklet to take home with them, they can purchase the art."
And the best part is, the exhibit changes every month, so there’s always something new to see.