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‘Marsh Sun’ by Julie McGowan. PROVIDED
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Alberto Chailosky with his miniature work entitled ‘Century Hotel’, PROVIDED
With “Minute Masterpieces: Fine Art by Miniature Art Society of Florida Artists and Urbanscapes by Alberto Chailosky,” Tribby Arts Center at Shell Point opens the 2025-2026 exhibition season in a big way with tiny art.
Opening Saturday, Nov. 1, “Minute Masterpieces” in the Tribby Shell Point Gallery will display 143 miniature paintings submitted by 38 artists living in 15 states across the United States. It also will include five pieces from mixed-media artist Alberto Chailosky of Fort Myers. The exhibition runs through Saturday, Jan. 17.
“Minute Masterpieces” is the first exhibition in Fort Myers to feature works by members of the Miniature Art Society of Florida (MASF). Headquartered in Dunedin, Florida, and with members throughout the United States and several other countries, MASF has brought Florida to the forefront in the rising resurgence of interest in miniature art.
According to Tribby Curator Marge Lee, visitors to the exhibition may expect to see art of the finest technical and artistic quality, in miniature. To qualify as a miniature fine art painting, the subject in the painting must be no larger than one sixth the size of the actual subject in real life.
“These are not works you will find in a doll house, but instead fine art of the caliber you might expect to find in any art gallery. The only difference is that they are very small in size,” said Lee.
Some paintings on display are as small as 2.5 inches in width and height. Many are so small, in fact, that magnifying glasses will be hanging and available for use by all visitors to see their fascinating minute details. The magnifying glasses will also be useful to fully appreciate the intricate miniature artworks also being displayed in this exhibition of miniaturist Alberto Chailosky of Fort Myers.
Having first exhibited in the Tribby in the 2023 exhibition “Styled Steel,” Al Chailosky has created four new works to display for the first time in “Minute Masterpieces,” including “The Columbus Circle Newsstand,” New York City; “Captain Tony’s Saloon,” Key West; “Tabanero Cigars,” Ybor City, and “The Century Hotel,” Miami.
Chailosky is widely known for his “urbanscapes” depicting scenes of urban locations in minute, exacting detail, each work a time capsule transporting the viewer to a specific time and place. A “scratch” builder, Chailosky makes every detail specifically for each work, at a scale and effort that can be difficult to comprehend but often also benefits by use of a magnifying glass. For just one detail in “Captain Tony’s Saloon,” Chailosky created and then hand-cut 500 tiny dollar bills, each one just ¼” in width, as well as 150 license plates, each just ¾” wide.
Chailosky was born in Cuba, raised in Miami, lived in New York City and Columbus, Ohio, and now resides in Fort Myers. Educated at the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design, he worked in New York City for eleven years as a set designer for various Broadway shows and “Saturday Night Live.” Today he is a successful designer and design director in the fashion industry.
In addition to the “Minute Masterpieces” exhibition, also on Nov. 1 the Tribby is opening “In Glass and Fabric: Michael Armstrong and Carol Mann.” This exhibition, which is the 2025 Tribby Legacy Exhibition honoring two of the most extraordinary artists in the extensive Shell Point community, will feature extraordinary glass works by Michael Armstrong and textile artworks — including quilts and wearable art– by Carol Mann.
Finally, the Tribby’s gift shop, Serendipity, also will open the season on Nov. 1, and offer a wide array of holiday-themed gift items and one-of-a-kind artisan-made items, many exclusively available in this store.
The exhibitions of Tribby Arts Center and Serendipity are open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday; closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day.
Tribby Arts Center is at 17281 On Par Blvd. within the Coastal Commons neighborhood of Shell Point. For information, call 239-415-5667 or visit tribbyartscenter.com.
About Shell Point
Located along Southwest Florida’s Caloosahatchee River and minutes from Sanibel and Captiva Islands is Shell Point Retirement Community. Home to 2,500 residents, Shell Point is the country’s largest, not-for-profit, single-site Life Plan Community, offering independent and assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing services. Shell Point provides residents exceptional care, with a world-class health center, activities, and resort amenities, including championship golf, a marina, art and fitness centers, restaurants, pickleball courts, gardening spaces, a dog park, and miles of bike paths and waterfront trails. Learn why Ideal Living lists Shell Point among the “100 Best Places to Live” by visiting ShellPoint.org.