Call for Mini Murals for the Exterior Walls of the Micro Galleries!

Mini Murals for Micro Gallery for Microcosm Show at the Oak Park Art League

The Angelica Kauffman Gallery is a miniature 1:12 (dollhouse scale) gallery that serves primarily emerging artists and charges no fees or commissions. While artwork inside the gallery must be original, “mini murals” can be prints. A mini mural is a low tack wall graphic, a vinyl cling that is removable. You can have a print made of existing artwork.

In May 2025, there will be a group show of multiple box galleries, with each box being a solo show, and each solo artist will also have a full sized piece on the wall.  The show will be at the Oak Park Art League.  The call for that show is here.

This call is for mini murals, printed as low tack wall graphics, to go on the outside of the box galleries. Your mini mural can be for sale, and if not sold, it will be returned to you.

There is a second option – mostly for printmakers – if you have a small print and are cool with this idea, you can mail it to me and I will glue it, faux wheat-pasting style, onto the gallery.  This means no one can buy your print unless they buy the entire box gallery that it’s attached to, which is a thing, people can buy the whole box gallery, just the box, or they can buy the box and the entire mini show inside of it, plus your mini mural on the outside.  If that happens, you’d get paid for your mural.  The upside is that you don’t have to pay to have your art made into a low tack wall graphic.

Please read the following very carefully.

Getting the scale right is essential. The miniature box galleries are mostly 12″ H x 16″ W x 12″ D, meaning the exterior side walls, where the mini murals will go, are 12″ x 12″ . For the illusion to work, of the artwork being painted on, it works best if the artwork is no larger than 10″ x 10″ (does not have to be square). Artwork should not be smaller than 6″ x 6″. The work should be scaled appropriately, think about a PlayMobil figure standing next to the wall and looking at your work. Does it read as a mural?

It looks best if the low tack wall graphic is die-cut.  Unless the art work is already a square or rectangle, as in some of the examples in the image above.  Then it’s fine, it doesn’t need to be die-cut.  Standard shapes are more affordable.

You are free to use any printing company you like that can do vinyl, removable, low tack wall graphics.   The key terms your searching on are “low tack” or “removable” and also you want a wall graphic, not a floor graphic.

I haven’t used this company, but their prices look really affordable: https://www.printmoz.com/removable-decal-material
I’ll do a test order and report back.

More details:
Mini murals must be family friendly. Gallerist reserves the right to not show any work.
Because it will cost you money to have this mini mural printed, use the google form linked below to share an image (and give me your contact info. social media tags, statements, etc.)  Get the go-ahead before having your mini-mural printed.

Commissions and Shipping

The Angelica Kauffman Gallery does not charge commissions, but the full size venues that host us do charge reasonable commissions on sales.  The Oak Park Art League does charge a reasonable commission.  Take that into account when pricing your art.

The gallery is entirely self-funded and because of that, we ask artists to pay their own shipping, (unless incarcerated). If we get a grant, we’ll pay shipping.  We like to make this easy – you can enclose a way to ship your item back to you, or you can use Venmo or Ko-Fi to pay postage when it’s time to ship your mini mural back to you.

DEADLINES

This show will take place May 9-June 8th.  Mini Murals need to be received in the mail one month in advance, April 9th.

Submit your idea on the google form.

Link to the Google Form

https://forms.gle/vQYGNUkJofCLZPgM8

How to  Participate

If you’d like to participate, here’s how.  

• Have your mural printed as a die cut wall decal, by a printing service, this could be your local sign shop or an online company.  What I’m talking about is a *removable* wall graphic, not a transfer sticker. The removable wall graphics may say, “adhesive vinyl (or) fabric,” or “removable and re-positionable,” or “low tack.” That’s what we’re looking for. Having it be die cut enhances the illusion that the mural was painted right on the wall.  If the artwork itself has straight sides, then the shape of the decal can have straight sides and it still “reads” like a mini mural.

• Maximum size for the inside of the gallery is 4″ x 4″. Slightly smaller is better, say 3″ x 3″ or 3.5″ x 3″, as a maximum size.  For mini murals, a size of about 6″ to 8″ is good.  The exterior walls are 12″ x 12″, painted white.

• Mail or have mailed to me at: Elaine Luther, PO Box 5292, River Forest, IL. 60305.

• Fill out the google form https://forms.gle/vQYGNUkJofCLZPgM8 to give me a brief artist statement, title, your website and IG links and the address to return the art.

FAQ

What’s the deadline?

Mini murals must be received by April 9, 2025.  Deadline for submissions is TBA.

Is there insurance?

No, sorry.

What if someone wants to buy the painting/my artwork?

I’ll direct them to pay you directly and if they are local to me, mail or deliver the artwork to them, once you tell me they’ve paid.  If the customer is not local to me, I’ll work with you to ship the work directly to the customer, instead of back to you.

When will I get my painting/artwork back?

This show comes down in early June, so if your work doesn’t sell, it will be mailed back to you very soon after the show comes down.

How will I get my painting/artwork back?

Include a pre-paid shipping label or envelope or similar with your artwork.

Can international artists participate?

Yes, and please advise me on how to best return your artwork with regard to customs, etc. in your country. Include a pre-paid shipping label or similar with your artwork.  Sometimes international artists choose to not have their work returned, in order to reduce shipping costs.  Another option is to have your item printed by a U.S. company and shipped directly to me.

Can I send you an original as a mini mural?

Yes – but. If you send an original I will glue it, faux wheat-pasting style, onto the outside gallery wall.  This means no one can buy your print unless they buy the entire box gallery that it’s attached to, which is a thing, people can buy the whole box gallery, just the box, or they can buy the box and the entire mini show inside of it, plus your mini mural on the outside.  If that happens, you’d get paid for your mural.  The upside is that you don’t have to pay to have your art made into a low tack wall graphic.  The downside is you don’t get your artwork back.  That’s why I imagine this option is a good fit for printmakers, who work in multiples.

How many mini murals can be in this show?

There may be as many as 14 mini box galleries in this group show show at the Oak Park Art League.  Each box has three exterior walls, so that’s a lot of spaces for mini murals!

How are the shows handled?

Each show is photographed in an “unpacking” and “installation day” shot; a completed show shot, plus video, and a “deinstallation day” photo.  In addition, each artist’s work is photographed as it arrives in the mail.  Each work of art gets its own post on the gallery Instagram, with links to the artists website and Instagram, plus the text that the artist has shared.  Each group photo of the show as installed lists each artist by name and tags them on Instagram.  Each show has a miniature wine and cheese reception, with EANABs, or Equally Attractive Non-Alcoholic Beverages, also available.

Why are you doing this?

For fun and to meet people and share their tiny art!

Art Should be Safe for Work and Family Friendly

Artworks should be safe for work/family friendly. The gallerist reserves the right to not exhibit submitted work.  Absolutely no hate speech.

Is there an age limit?

In general, we are a gallery for professional, adult artists.  We do have one parent and child art show planned.  And we do hate age discrimination.  So we’re going to say that our minimum age is 16.  Ages 16 and up may participate in this call.

Link to the Google Form

https://forms.gle/vQYGNUkJofCLZPgM8

See the gallery’s Instagram here: www.instagram.com/angelicakauffmangallery

Where to See Prior Shows of the Angelica Kauffman Gallery

All prior shows of the gallery are archived here.