MARION — Small paintings drew a big crowd of Tri-Town residents to Marion Art Center on Saturday, Nov. 11 to be the first to see a new gallery of art displayed.

Paintings, photographs and other various works of art sized 14” by 14” or less make their way onto the walls of the Marion Arts Center each year for the “Small Works and Holiday Show” exhibit.

A reception was held for the opening day of the exhibit, which included complimentary cheese, meats, and wine. The “Small Works and Holiday Show” gallery will continue to be featured at the Marion Art Center until Saturday, Dec. 16.

“People just seem to love coming in and getting gifts for themselves at this time of year,” said Marion Art Center Director Jodi Stevens.

According to Stevens, this is a juried exhibit which requires artists to apply for their work to be featured. A committee then considers applications and determines which will be a part of the gallery.

“The calendar is planned about a year in advance, so all of our spots for 2024 are already filled,” Stevens added.

Stevens said the small size of the pieces allows for more artists to display their work than in other exhibits in the center’s rotation of themes.

The “Small Works and Holiday Show” exhibit is one of the only Marion Arts Center galleries where customers can take pieces home right away.

After just 30 minutes, many pieces of art had already found new homes.

“When we have a lot of people coming in like this, it is great. We had a really good turnout for our last exhibition as well,” said Stevens. “People are not just shopping but want to support us.”

The gallery will be open from 10 a.m to 2 p.m from Thursday to Saturday. Call ahead for hours on Tuesday and Wednesday.