Several years ago, someone walking into Barbara Pontarelli’s home for the first time may have gotten the feeling that they’d become a giant.
Hanging on the walls of her kitchen, small scenes exhibited the culinary décor of different eras. In one display box, tiny countertops of a retro 1950s kitchen popped with color. In another, little stainless steel appliances filled the space.
Miniature tables and chairs were laid out in parlor scenes in the house’s living room, and Pontarelli’s bathrooms were dentist-themed. Since her husband was a dentist, she honored his career with small recliners and minuscule toothbrushes on display.
“When I didn't have enough space to display stuff, I would empty closets,” said the Wheat Ridge resident, who now lives part-time in California.
Of the countless miniature scenes on display in her home, Pontarelli collected about a quarter of them.
The rest, she made herself.
“It’s, you know, how I express my artistic side,” she said. “I can't explain the draw, but it's definitely a passion … I just find this so satisfying — to produce something small to be as close as it can be to its full-size counterpart.”
Pontarelli is part of a passionate community of miniaturists, or people who enjoy the art, hobby or collection of miniature objects.
In the Denver area, it doesn’t take a magnifying glass to see that the miniaturist community is thriving — from meetup groups to classes, to a museum, the love of tiny things is big in the hearts of many.
A museum of tiny things
Pontarelli is a board member at the institution at the epicenter of the miniaturist community: the Denver Museum of Miniatures, Dolls and Toys. In addition to its miniature collection, the museum displays and teaches visitors about antique toys and special dolls from over the decades.
The museum recently moved to 830 Kipling St. in Lakewood after almost 40 years in Denver’s City Park West neighborhood.
In its new location, Executive Director Wendy Littlepage said the museum welcomes about 5,000 visitors per year,
“(The museum) is so many different things to different people,” she said. “We have people that come in that love just the exactitude of the small scale, and then we have people that love the whimsy of the small scale. We have a lot of people that come for nostalgia … And then I think some people just like that it's a bit of a mental break.”
One of her favorite things about miniatures is that they are for everyone. Some people come into the museum thinking that the collection, which includes several intricate dollhouses and other cases of miniature objects and artwork, is mainly for kids.
But the houses are full of detailed — and sometimes even functional — replicas of what one would see in a normal house, including cupboards, dressers, paintings, beds, sinks, animals and food.
Considering the familiarity and intricacies of the pieces, Littlepage said some of the collection’s biggest fans tend to be craftsmen.
“We had a finish carpenter come through, and he just said over and over, ‘This is all insane! How did they get that finish?’” she said. “There’s one house where the plumbing is really exposed – and it’s not functional plumbing – but we had a plumber come through and he was just like, ‘That’s what every house needs.’”
In one display case, tiny handmade food is almost microscopically detailed — including an orange that can be peeled to show the segments underneath and an onion with all of its layers. Other displays show miniature artwork by Indigenous artists that represent Indigenous homes.
For many miniature items, artists use the materials that the regular-sized objects would be made of, like wood and fabric. Paintings are painted, embroidered things are embroidered and knit clothing is knit with small thread.
But for other mini details, artists get more creative, using paper to make flowers and polymer clay to construct food items.
While many miniatures are created by hobbyists and artisan creators, others are mass-produced. Just like with real furniture, Wendy said, collectors will determine which types to buy based on their specific needs.
High-end artisan miniature pieces can sell for thousands of dollars, Littlepage said. The miniature art gallery in the museum was appraised at $18,000 about 15 years ago, so it’s likely worth even more now, she added.
Crafting classes
For those who like to make miniatures, there are clubs and classes to teach different skills. For a long time, Pontarelli was the president of one of these clubs, called Wee Wonders of Arvada.
The longstanding miniature group meets monthly at the museum to work on projects together or teach and learn new skills from each other, like how to make stained glass windows or create stucco.
“We have people at every level,” Pontarelli said. “I love getting together with these people and hearing what they've figured out and what they're doing and always learning something new.”
In addition to crafting by hand, miniaturists also use new tools and technologies to create their artwork.
“I've noticed a change in the level of expertise over the years,” Pontarelli said. “Before, we used mini scroll saws and mini table saws and Dremel tools — we still use the Dremel quite a bit — but now that we can get laser-cut wood or 3D-printed items, it's sort of changing the face of the miniature world.”
The museum also hosts classes for kids.
“There's a whole influx of young people into the hobby and for those of us who are in it, that's kind of exciting, because, you know, we don't want to see it disappear,” Pontarelli said.
For her, miniatures are a great way for kids to explore their creativity.
“We're just trying to find any avenue to trigger their creativity, that's really what it's all about,” she said. “In this tech world, we need to foster any outside creativity activities that we can, because it's really important that these kids exercise that part of their brain.”
To learn and wonder
The dedication and ambition within the community of miniaturists is special, Littlepage said.
“My favorite thing about the miniature community is they’re such learners,” she said. “Like I have one of my volunteers who has been retired for a while … and she bought a laser cutter and has taught herself to program it.”
She said that problem-solving attitude, plus the childlike wonder of enjoying cute things, make miniaturists special.
Littlepage encouraged people to take a break from their busy lives to check out the museum, where tickets for adults are $5 and children and seniors are $4.
“It's a great space because you have to slow down,” she said. “You come in fast, you miss a lot. So being able to come in, take a few breaths and just sort of find the most ridiculous tiny thing you can find.”
For those who have their interest piqued in the world of miniatures, Pontarelli said it’s never too late to start.
Creating and collecting can be for anyone at any time and any age, she said. And for those who don’t know where to begin, just remember — it’s OK to start small.
