Indiana University South Bend debuts Little Art Gallery

Little Free Libraries for books are a relatively popular concept, with give-one, take-one boxes for books dotting the streets of neighborhoods around the country. Indiana University South Bend has implemented a similar, though much less ubiquitous version on its campus: a Little Art Gallery.

According to an article on Indiana University South Bend’s website, Sydney Beauchamp and Laticia Hequembourg, who are both professors within the School of Education, are the masterminds behind the Little Art Gallery that now resides within the Education & Arts Suite of the School of Education. 

Beauchamp explained the spark that inspired her to pursue debuting a Little Art Gallery on campus, saying, “This is based on the little free libraries you may see around town, where you can leave a book, take a book. I saw a little free art gallery in Seattle online and it just clicked for me that it would be a perfect fit to bring to our campus. If you have an empty spot in your workspace, you can come get a piece of artwork to add some color and joy to your surroundings.”

The idea of the Little Art Gallery is that students, faculty, and community members will create little pieces of artwork, like small paintings, and leave them in the miniature gallery to be viewed and adopted by someone else, who can take the artwork and do with what they wish, like decorating their office or their refrigerator. It gives everyone an opportunity to express their creativity and the chance to brighten someone’s day with their creations. Because of the smaller format of the artwork, Hequembourg is hopeful that it will be a non-intimidating way for people to explore their own artistic ideas.

Hequembourg said, “I think in this tiny format, it makes it a little less intimidating for people who maybe don’t fancy themselves an artist. It gives you the opportunity to make something small – to feel like you are contributing to something and then also be able to take something away.” She went on to add, “Being art teachers ourselves, Sydney and I really want our students to be able to express and create, so they will then be able to do that with their own students.”

In addition to leaving finished works of art in the Little Art Gallery, people can leave art supplies inside that others can take and use for free, helping to foster a sense of community and giving more people the opportunity to create art without financial barriers.

Hope Davis, who is the dean of the School of Education, described what she sees as an educational benefit to the Little Art Gallery, saying, “Taking learning outside of the classroom helps remind us that education should be fun, engaging, and access more than one single sensory point.”

For more information about Indiana University South Bend, visit the school’s website.