25 Days of Minis
25 Days of Minis
The countdown to support local artists during the holiday season is near!
Sixty-two artists, 1,350 mini artworks, and 25 days: that’s 25 Days of Minis by the numbers… record numbers as a matter of fact! For the past 10 years, artist Teresa Haag, founder of 25 Days of Minis, has been bringing together award-winning artists from all over the country who each create 25 miniature pieces (dimensions smaller than 12x12 inches) for this online holiday exhibit. Every day from December 1 through 25, a new piece from each artist is released at midnight, and according to artist Sean Huntington of Olean, the response is something of a “feeding frenzy” with many artists selling their pieces by 12:01am. Huntington has been a part of 25 Days of Minis nearly every year since its inception, and he’s looking forward to the biggest event yet!
According to Huntington, 25 Days of Minis began with just a small group of Philadelphia-based artists whom he got to know through the Rittenhouse Square Fine Art Show. “We started out with just a few of us sharing our work on social media,” he recalled. “It was pretty informal, but it’s really grown.” Artists from all over the country participate and sell their work to people throughout the U.S. and Canada. This year, 62 artists were accepted including Huntington, who is the only western New York-based artist among the group.
Those who sign up for the 25 Days of Minis newsletter at www.25daysofminis.com or follow their social media pages will get an alert at midnight with all of that day’s artwork that is for sale. While all of the artwork is available to view on the gallery’s website, each piece is linked to the artist’s website, where purchasers can learn more about the artist, pay for their piece, and view the artist’s other work.
For Huntington and many others, this is one of their best shows of the year, and certainly one of the most exciting. “There’s that adrenaline rush at midnight when your work is released,” he said. “It’s cool when your work sells right away! I really don’t sleep well in December,” he laughed. This year, those lucky few who are able to buy the piece they want at midnight will receive special recognition as “midnight club” members, which includes a few perks to recognize their tenacity.
Those who have visited Holiday Valley are likely already familiar with Huntington’s work, as he has two large pieces hanging in the main lodge. He’s also had gallery space in downtown Ellicottville but now paints full-time at his studio in Olean. Huntington’s work can also be seen in the “A Little Something” small works show at the Tri-County Arts Council in Olean, where he serves as exhibition coordinator.
“Right now, I work mostly in watercolor and gouache, which is an opaque water color,” Huntington explained. “I focus on nature and create a lot of abstracted landscapes.” Huntington grew up in a small town just outside of Bradford, PA and spent a lot of his time outdoors. “I fell in love with nature,” he said. “I was going to be a biologist. I always had a big interest in ecology, biology, and later on, botany. That’s kind of what comes out in my work; no mountain vistas - it’s very tree-centric. It’s really about the shapes, the lines, and the forms close up.”
Huntington credits his high school art program for his start, though he didn’t originally plan to become an artist. “I intended to go into science,” said Huntington, reflecting on his high school graduation plans. “I always painted and drew on the side.” While challenging family circumstances prevented him from going to college, he got a job at a local grocery store to pay the bills, get insurance, and of course, buy paint. “I was heading towards being 30, and I thought, ‘I really need to get this going or it’s never going to happen’,” he said of his goal to become an artist full-time.
That year, Huntington participated in shows at Chautauqua Institution and in Buffalo and made more money in one month than he did in an entire year. Despite the recession in 2008, Huntington continued pursuing his art career and is now well known throughout the region. Although the Covid-19 pandemic limited his travels, 25 Days of Minis has remained one of Huntington’s favorite shows and one that everyone can enjoy from the comfort of their own home.
While many people purchase art through 25 Days of Minis to add to their own collection or begin a new one, Huntington said the online gallery is a great place to shop for gifts. “It’s like a buffet of all these beautiful pieces - an incredible range of work from abstract pieces to hyperrealism to sculptures,” he noted. “To gift a big painting is almost like an imposition, but a miniature is like a jewel to hang on your wall.”
To view Huntington’s work, visit www.seanhuntingtonart.com or follow @SeanHuntingtonArt on Instagram, and be sure to sign up for his newsletter for updates on shows, new pieces, and Huntington’s Cyber Monday sale, which kicks off at noon on November 28.