August 27 will mark the debut of Dollhaus; one of our biggest and smallest exhibitions to date. The large-scale installation responds to Carolyn Barry’s exquisite dollhouse, also on view in the Museum. The show will include the work of 17 artists in a giant custom-built dollhouse, with all participants hailing from the ODU Art Department.
Dollhouses and miniature tableaus have fascinated artists and audiences for centuries, their miniature scale attesting to both the technical skill and imagination of their makers. As installations, they provide unique opportunities for artists to reimagine their work, whether through adapting it to a smaller scale, approaching it as a new spatial experience, or, in the case of collaborative dollhouses, partnering up.
For Dollhaus, the Barry Art Museum has invited each artist to select a room of their choice, from bedrooms to formal dining rooms. Each participant receives an empty box and will design an interior that reflects their artistic practice. Encompassing glass, textiles, painting, and more, this exhibit will both celebrate the dollhouse as an artistic form and serve as a three-dimensional celebration of ODU’s creative faculty, with each room highlighting the diversity, creativity, and skill of Hampton Roads’ artistic scene.
