Tucson show puts small, but notable, works of art on display

Twenty-seven years ago, Mike Dominguez filled his tiny gallery on North Oracle Road with small locally-produced art. He called it “Small Things Considered.”

It was a smash. Every year, the show grew with the number of artists and the fans who spilled out for the end-of-the-art-season event. Eventually, 40 artists participated. “It was just too many,” for that space, he says.

This year, it’s up to 81 artists — Dominguez says he caps it at that number — and it’s happening at Davis Dominguez’s much larger, airy space near downtown — their home after they outgrew the Oracle Road gallery. You have just a week left to see this year’s show.

Dominguez sends invitations to artists with very specific instructions for the art:

“Paintings and works for the wall can be no larger than 12- by 12-inches,” he says. “Sculpture can be no higher than 18 inches.”

Not all the artists adhere to those specs. This year, one brought in a wall sculpture that was about 6 feet long. He had to refuse it.

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The artists in the show aren’t just the 30 the gallery represents.

“We have some prominent artists from other galleries that we borrow. People like Jim Waid, Barbara Rodgers and Gail Marcus-Orlen.”

“Small Things” continues through June 22 at Davis Dominguez Gallery, 154 E. Sixth St. It’s open 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays. It’s free.

The gallery will be closed for July and August, and reopen in September.

For more information, call 629-9759 or go to davisdominguez.com.