2019 Shows

2019 shows

January: Tiny Coffee Shop

February: Chinese Tableau

March: Strong Women

April/May: Beaded Bugs

June: Bog Monster

July: Frida Kahlo

August: Subterranean nightmare

September: Amazing Axolotls

October: Tim Burton Inspired Halloween

November: Nerdcrafthq presents

December: Annual Krampus Show

Tiny Coffee Shop

I was given this amazing kit for Christmas and it just happens to fit in our minigallery. The kit is from Robotime toys, so you could make your own too. A tiny coffee shop seems perfect for Portland, though it's no where near as great as our favorite local Stumptown on Belmont. Pick up a brochure from the side of the gallery for some fun coffee facts! Assembled by Alissa Tran

Chinese Tableau

February seemed like the perfect time to display our Chinese tableau to coincide with Chinese New Year, year of the pig. The wall have tiny papercuts, inspired by make-up from the Chinese Opera. The only items I actually made for this show were the food and aquarium, while the rest of the items have been carefully collected and repaired over years. Curated by Alissa Tran

Strong Women

March is Women's History Month so this show is an homage to a few strong women worth knowing. Amanda Nguyen, Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Malala Youafzai, Dolores Huerta and bell hooks are featured in Acrylic paintings and prismacolor drawings. Also included: a quote from Susan B. Anthony, a Rosie the Riveter action figure and a porcelain "art power" sculpture. Grab a brochure to learn more about these great women and other fun resources.

April showers bring May flowers... and beautiful bugs! This show features the art of sculptural beading. The show features a trio of blue butterflies in a shadow box, a tiger moth in a shadow box, dragonfly and butterfly pins, several iridescent beetles, a lady bug in a glass cloche and a death's head moth(pictured above). All artwork by Alissa Tran

Carnivorous plants have always interested me, from childhood visits to see Darlingtonia to acquiring my first nepenthes plant at the Portland Saturday market! This show features a ceramic bust of bog creature whose eyelids resemble venus flytraps and grows sarracenia pitchers from it's body. The right wall displays a scratchboard of various carnivorous plants, while the left has unsuspecting flies. Bust and scratchboard illustration created by Alissa Tran.

In honor of the iconic Frida Kahlo's birthday, our July show is all about her! The central piece is a ceramic bust. The yellow cabinets filled with pottery are a nod to Frida's yellow kitchen at Casa Azul. A mini mask from Oaxaca and a tiny shrine hang on the right wall, while a small ofrenda with miniature pastries hang opposite. Created and curated by Alissa Tran.

One can only imagine the monsters that live just beneath the surface, waiting to capture you and invade your nightmares! Guest artist Hailey MacDonald created an incredibly detailed and creepy tableau with an illuminated tunnel that reveals an arachnid monser and the remains of some unfortunate prey. Tiny bones litter the cavern with a more intact victim cacooned in wait. Hailey even included venomous slime dripping from the creatures mandibles. To see more of Hailey's work, visit her instagram: @macabre_mac

Do you like salamanders? We do... alotl. Axolotls are native to Mexico(though critically endangered in the wild) and never outgrow their cute juvenile state. The retain their gills, live their whole lives in water and can regenerate their limbs. We have an axolotl as a studio pet(named Xochi) and his playful nature is the embodiment of staying "forever young". All artwork by Alissa Tran.

Tim Burton Inspired Halloween Show

The Neon Museum in Las Vegas is hosting the first exhibit of Tim Burton's work in the U.S. in 10 years and I am going to see it! With that in mind, I gathered up some of my existing miniatures and created a few of my own(like the sandworm) to set up a tiny Burtonesque display.

NerdCrafthq Presents

This month's show features amazing multimedia artist, Luke Thompson. Luke is a multitalented artist with a BFA in film and photography. But he also makes incredibly detailed set pieces and miniatures for use in role-playing games. They would also be perfect for 3d illustration or stop motion animation. Luke was a former student of mine and we have stayed in touch for years. I continue to be huge fan of his work and it was an honor to showcase it in our little space.

Follow him on instragram @nerdcrafthq , support his patreon, or watch his videos on youtube! For more infor visit: https://linktr.ee/Nerdcrafthq

Krampus drags away Baby trump

This is, by far, the most disgusting thing I have ever sculpted. I have got to admit, I'm kind of proud of it. We were worried we might get some heat for being political in our minigallery, but sometimes art is meant to challenge the viewer. It was also very cathartic to make something in response to our current climate. To see the full display, you'll have to visit our instragram page, but suffice to say, Krampus is fulfilling his purpose by dragging off a naughty child.

Sculptures by Alissa Tran