Little art, huge heart: Neighbors pitch in after mini-gallery heist
“What I found really surprising and uplifting was the incredible response that I got from people.”
On the morning of June 6, Tara Johnson headed out for her usual walk with Mr. Pickles.
The miniature schnauzer accompanies Johnson each day past the Little Free Art Gallery, a miniature exhibition space she has tucked outside her Riverside Avenue home in West Acton.
The gallery is often packed with tiny paintings, jewelry, sculptures, and other handmade treasures placed there by visitors.
That morning, it was empty. Everything inside had been taken, and there was no sign of the culprit.
“There were jewelry pieces in there,” Johnson said. “There were beautiful pyramids made out of resin and sparkles with embedded little messages. There was all kinds of stuff in there. It was actually quite full.”
The loss stung more than she expected.
“It was heartbreaking,” she said. “It hurt my feelings to see it like that.”
But the heartbreak didn’t last long. After Johnson shared what had happened online, friends and strangers alike began to help bring the gallery back to life.
Remaking the gallery
One of the first to respond was Acton resident Katy Ferbert.
A longtime friend of Johnson’s, Ferbert saw the post and immediately began combing her house for tiny treasures.
“There was a little table and chairs, and there was a little turtle and some little flowers,” Ferbert said. “Then I found some old things that the kids had 3D-printed — little dinosaurs and a little dog. Anything that I could find that I felt like was sort of the right scale.”
Ferbert’s tiny furniture and animals, along with miniature “missing” posters placed by Johnson, started the rebuilding process.
“I felt like somebody kind of stole her happy,” Ferbert said, “so it was only right to try to make a little bit of magic happen for her.”
Then more helpers joined in. Artists from around the country mailed artwork to Acton after seeing Johnson’s post online, while others shared messages of support.
“What I found really surprising and uplifting was the incredible response that I got from people,” Johnson said.
‘A little bit of beauty’
The gallery itself began as a way to contribute creativity and joy to the neighborhood.
Johnson said she was looking for a project that would get her away from her computer and reconnect her with making art. Inspired by a friend in Washington state who had transformed a Little Free Library into a miniature gallery, she decided to create one of her own.
She commissioned a retired shop teacher in Quincy to build the structure and filled it with tiny easels, miniature gallery-goers, and handmade artwork.
The concept is simple: Leave art, take art, and enjoy it.
“I truly want people to take things,” Johnson said. “I want people to take a little bit of beauty with them or inspiration with them. I just didn’t want people to take everything.”
In the days after the gallery was emptied, Johnson began creating new artwork for the space, including Pride-themed canvases featuring quotes from LGBTQ+ activists and leaders.
Before long, and with the help of others, the gallery was full again, welcoming visitors and contributors.
“There’s creativity in every single human,” Johnson said. “Just make some stuff, and stick it in there for people to enjoy.”
Postscript: This story appeared in the June 26 print edition of The Acton Bridge. In an Instagram post after that edition went to the printer, Johnson said her gallery had been cleaned out a second time — and supporters then once again rallied to her aid to replenish the gallery with new art pieces.
