www.thehouseofsmalls.com

Having relocated to Edinburgh from the north Cotswolds in July 2024, The House of Smalls is a small independent not-for-profit art space in Stockbridge, Edinburgh, and is proud to create exhibition opportunities and provide a safe and intimate space for predominantly women artists to exhibit personal, intuitive and thought-provoking work in themed shows. Recent exhibitions have explored issues such as grief and memory, menopause, physical and mental scars, ageing, and domestic abuse and sexual violence.

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The House of Smalls began life as an online dollhouse project during the 2020 Covid lockdowns. Frustrated by the limiting and formulaic constructs of the virtual galleries which had sprung up in the absence of open venues, and the high costs to submit and exhibit work, The House of Smalls founder and curator, Amy Oliver, decided to start her own project. Wanting to somehow create a place for connection in isolating times for artists like herself, but with a distinct lack of funds and wall space to show work at home, she instead was gifted a second-hand dollhouse and after renovating it into a miniature art gallery, establishing a social media presence and building a website, she lastly put out a call for art for the inaugural show, Facing It, on Instagram. 

Across eleven online group shows between November 2020 and August 2022, the House of Smalls exhibited 280+ tiny artworks by 181 women (200 artists in total) on and within its diminutive walls, and original physical artwork was received through the post from over 30 countries. 

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In February 2023 Amy took a leap into the unknown, left her job working for the NHS in a Cat A men's prison and rented a shop space in the north Cotswolds. In its big world format The House of Smalls mirrors the original project and remaining resolute to its ethos of fairness, inclusivity, affordability and accessibility, exhibits group and solo shows in two spaces - full size work in the gallery space and miniature/small artwork in the dollhouse - and regularly posts themed calls for art in the gallery window, on social media, art platforms and The House of Smalls website. Amy selects as many interpretations of each show theme from submissions as possible to create exhibitions that are diverse and challenging - with an element of humour - and hopefully include at least one piece which resonates with the viewer. The shows typically run for between 3-5 weeks and, as with the original project, artists and their work are featured daily across social media during exhibitions and added to The House of Smalls catalogue of artworks which details every piece exhibited since the beginning..

Amy will be present in the gallery during opening hours and if you would like to discuss anything please pop in.

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Amy runs the project by herself and works hard to keep costs for artists as low as she can. There are no submission fees and no commission is applied to sales under £150, with a 10% commission applied on sales of £150 and above. As with show fees (equating to between £5 - £10 per week payable by artists selected for shows), any money raised through commission goes towards gallery rent, overheads and upkeep.

Much of the artwork exhibited is for sale and if you're interested in discussing or purchasing any of the available pieces in the gallery or shown online/on the website, please contact The House of Smalls.

The House of Smalls is proud to be a certified White Ribbon supporter organisation. White Ribbon is the UK’s leading charity engaging men and  boys to end violence against women and girls. If you are a victim of domestic abuse/violence, or have any concerns regarding your own or a partner's behaviour and would like a discreet and confidential chat and/or assistance with accessing relevant resources, please pop into the gallery. For more information about White Ribbon, please visit www.whiteribbon.org.uk. 

Amy is a White Ribbon champion and has trained with Rape Crisis England & Wales and Refuge in understanding and working with domestic abuse and sexual violence.