A unique art gallery has opened in Albany, Western Australia, featuring exhibits displayed across two levels, but with a twist – the entire structure stands less than three feet high and wide. The Gallery of Tiny Treasures represents a creative community initiative where visitors can take a piece of art and leave something of their own behind.
Local artist Jane Michael conceived the project after being inspired by a friend's little free library. "It started because a friend of ours has a little library in town, just out the front of her house," Michael explained. "I thought we could do something different and have art instead of books." She envisioned the gallery as a way to help fellow artists engage in creative exchanges while providing an accessible platform for children to participate in the arts community.
The miniature gallery showcases various forms of artwork including postcards, small gel prints, and metal works. Michael has established one simple rule for submissions: all artwork must convey happiness. "I thought it would be a way to help other artists have a bit of fun with it so they could do art swaps, and it's a good way to get kids involved too," she said, emphasizing her hope that children will actively contribute to the collection.
Albany's tiny art gallery joins a rapidly expanding global network of sidewalk community installations. These grassroots initiatives have gained significant momentum worldwide, with multiple websites now dedicated to cataloguing and sharing these creative projects. The Worldwide Sidewalk Joy Map has become a central hub for documenting these installations, currently featuring nearly 500 listings from around the globe, including Albany's newest addition.
Rachael Harms Mahlandt, based in Portland, Oregon, created the comprehensive mapping project after establishing her own toy dinosaur exchange outside her home. Her initiative began as a family adventure, exploring various community installations throughout her city with her children. "We started telling people about the other spots around town and finally someone suggested a map," Harms Mahlandt recalled. "For the first iteration of the map, it had about 24 spots and I already thought that was a really big number for one city."
The response exceeded all expectations as word spread about the mapping project. "But after putting out the map, we heard about more spots in town and people got inspired to create one themselves," Harms Mahlandt noted. Since launching the worldwide version of the map last year, she has received hundreds of submissions from locations as distant as Finland, South Africa, and New Zealand, demonstrating the universal appeal of these community-building initiatives.
The creativity displayed in these projects spans a remarkable range of concepts and themes. "Somebody near me has made their side yard, which they didn't use much, into a golf course that's just free for anybody to come by for a round of golf," Harms Mahlandt shared. Plant and seed swaps hold particular appeal for her: "I am particularly fond of the plant and seed swaps; every time I see one I get excited." She has even released free designs enabling others to create their own mug libraries, further expanding the community resource sharing concept.
Among the most creative installations documented on the map are puzzle libraries, mug exchanges, and even a "Take a Shrek, Leave a Shrek" box, showcasing the playful and diverse nature of these community projects. Harms Mahlandt deliberately chose not to include pop-up libraries on her map because existing comprehensive lists already documented those installations, allowing her to focus on the more unique and creative variations of community sharing initiatives.
Back in Albany, Michael remains optimistic about the long-term impact of her Gallery of Tiny Treasures. She hopes the installation will become a permanent fixture in the community, providing a sustainable platform where residents can connect, share, and engage with art in an accessible and informal setting. The project represents more than just an art exchange – it embodies the growing movement toward community connection and creative collaboration that is spreading across neighborhoods worldwide.
