The Little Mifflin Gallery Packs a Big Impact

Maybe it was the lovely spring weather or the way the street was perfectly quiet on Tuesday morning. Or perhaps it was the chance to see a unique work of art presented on such an intimate scale.

Whatever the reason, I found my visit to the Little Mifflin Gallery profoundly stirring.

The glass-walled gallery, set on a wood pedestal and topped with a tidy roof, sits on a residential sidewalk near the corner of East Mifflin and First streets. It’s one of the city’s two Little Galleries—the other is the Little Monroe Gallery—that host monthly exhibitions of contemporary art from May to October.

This month, Nathan Vernau’s “see-thru” installation of cut paper and string fills the diminutive gallery with energy. Colorful cinder blocks dangle in front of a backdrop of densely layered shapes in shades of blue and purple.

It’s a treat to approach, wander around and peer into the scene; the interaction feels surprisingly different than examining art in a gallery where the walls surround you, the visitor.

Vernau’s installation runs through May 31, as does street artist Noah MacDonald’s exhibition in the Little Monroe Gallery at Monroe and Harrison streets.

For more information, visit littlegalleries.org.