Whereas most galleries invite you to step inside, Petaluma’s Gallery 202 insists that you literally step a little bit closer. And then a little closer still. Maybe more. Because it’s… delightfully tiny.
The miniature exhibition space on Dana Street in Petaluma is the creation of Annee Knight, whose inaugural show features sketchbook drawings by her husband, illustrator and creative director Greg Knight. Small as the beautifully rendered mechanical bugs and mecha goldfish may be, they suggest a considerably larger world beyond and underscore the charm and vision of Gallery 202.
Knight came to the idea by way of Berkeley, where she encountered a miniature Art & Lit gallery and met its curator. The form suited a moment of change in her own life. After a career that included public-facing exhibit design, she now works more behind the scenes with art collections. She also found herself ready to make something with her hands.
“I’ve come to a realization that I am in my crafting era,” Knight says. “For me, the art form brings so much joy and whimsy. It spoke to me and I wanted to create this on our little street in Petaluma.”
If Gallery 202 brings to mind a Little Free Library, Knight won’t object. She sees a kinship with the cupboard-sized literary depot one might spot on a neighborhood walk. Knight’s miniature gallery, however, required much more engineering. The scale is roughly 1:25—theoretically. “The scale is mostly eyeballing,” Knight says, recalling a compliment from a friend: “Annee, I like your style—it’s so imprecise.”
The entire museum fits in a cabinet. Knight began by buying one at downtown thrift store Alphabet Soup, then taking it apart and sanding it. As she worked out how the space should feel, Greg considered whether the fine lines of his drawings would remain legible at miniature size. They tried different scales together.
For Knight, the challenge went beyond shrinking the artwork. She wanted the viewer to feel that the gallery could be a real place if only they were small enough to enter it. Think of it as exhibit design with a touch of Honey, I Shrunk the Audience.
The Knights’ collaborative process was key throughout. Greg checks in on Annee’s progress, asks what she is thinking about and talks through whatever has her stuck. Sometimes, she says, the obstacle is life rather than the artwork. The project has brought more creativity into their lives as new empty nesters. As for who gets the final say, Annee is clear: “I have curatorial veto,” she says with a laugh.
Greg Knight’s inaugural exhibition, Creative Journaling: The Art of Greg Knight, draws on years of small, black sketchbooks. In his artist statement, he describes drawing as a chance to share ideas, but also as quiet time to sit with a study or concept. Science fiction subjects recur, percolating with inner lives behind cybernetic eyes.
That sensibility makes his work a happy match for Gallery 202. His drawings invite a closer look and work well in a gallery where a taking closer look is the whole point.
Meanwhile, Knight already has a lineup of artists interested in working at this scale. She mentions painters, poetry, pottery, photography, fashion design and illustrations for a short film. She hopes to make miniature weavings of her own someday. Sound and video are on the wish list, too. It is an ambitious program for a former cabinet, but as a gallery it contains multitudes.
Creative Journaling: The Art of Greg Knight, runs through Oct. 31, at Gallery 202, located at 202 Dana Street, Petaluma. Instagram @gallery202_artondana.