The Mapleside Musuem of Miniature Art supports local artists’ work by showcasing tiny zines with their unique perspectives on life

The Mapleside Museum of Miniature Art is a tiny art gallery located on Mapleside Avenue. The gallery operates on the same principles as a Little Free Library, where people are able to take and leave behind a book in little stands around neighbourhoods. In this case, art is displayed in the gallery and people are able to leave behind work, take some home or simply just take a quick look around. 

Matt Coleman, founder of MMOMA, is a local high school art teacher with the Halton District School Board. As a Hamilton native, Coleman started the MMOMA during the pandemic as a way to facilitate connections within the community using art. 

On Mar. 4, the MMOMA opened its first-ever miniature zine show where people are able to look at tiny-sized magazines created by artists. Zines are unpublished publications made by artists for the purpose of highlighting personal opinions and perspectives. They are self-published by the creator and are often less formal in nature. 

Coleman was inspired to create a zine show by the zine symposium organized by the Zine Club at Hamilton Central Branch library. Coleman thought the event was a fun way to share zines and art with others and promote a sense of community.  

“The ultimate purpose [of the zine show] is to build community and have a moment of connection to other creators and other artists . . . [To] read these little zines and take one with you [to] brighten your day [is] a small but important goal,” he explained. 

“The ultimate purpose [of the zine show] is to build community and have a moment of connection to other creators and other artists . . . [To] read these little zines and take one with you [to] brighten your day [is] a small but important goal."

Matt Coleman, founder of MMOMA

The miniature zines showcased through MMOMA includes work done by Coleman’s high school students as well as contributions from the local community and beyond. Visitors to the MMOMA can drop off any zine they create while also taking a copy of someone else’s zine home with them. 

What makes MMOMA’s zine show stand out from other zine symposiums is the miniature nature of the size of the art and the personal content expressed in them. 

“The unique part of [the MMOMA zine show] is the diminutive stature of the scenes. We're going to put up with the display of all the miniature scenes that people have started to drop off,” said Coleman. 

Already, the zine show has received wide geographic interest, with international artists mailing in their pieces to Coleman.  

“I've been communicating with a few people in California; someone else in in Brussels, Belgium, wants to participate [and] someone else in Korea,” Coleman stated. 

Coleman encourages people to check out the show as a fun, interactive way to look at the various experiences and forms of expression. It is a new way to learn about unique perspectives and share art.  

The zines can also be a good way to support the artistic side of Hamilton and hear people’s opinions and views on life.