Miniatures from the TAMA Collection

Within the Ararat Gallery TAMA Collection, there is a sub-collection of miniature textile artworks. The majority of these miniatures were acquired in the 1980s, when the Gallery hosted a series of Biennial Acquisitive Exhibitions. The Biennials became a major source of acquisitions for the Gallery, with the artworks of both established and emerging fibre artists adding to the Gallery's developing collection of fibre and textiles. The first two Biennials, in 1981 and 1983, concentrated on miniature textile works not exceeding 20 centimetres in any dimension. This provided a rare opportunity for textile artists working on a miniature scale to exhibit in an established regional gallery. For the third Biennial exhibition in 1985 the size limit was increased to no greater than 40 centimetres in any dimension. This was seen as an extension of the miniature concept and gave the overall exhibition a greater diversity in size and content while maintaining the practical advantages of the miniature scale. For this exhibition they have also selected small-scale artworks that were acquired at other times through the collection's history.