Magic: The Gathering in Miniature II
April 13, 2024-April 28, 2025 at Gallery Nucleus, Los Angeles, CA
In just a little over one week, Magic: The Gathering in Miniature II will open at Gallery Nucleus in Alhambra, California. I once again have the immense privilege to guest-curate the exhibition, a successor to the first show held in January 2023. Only this time there are more artists, more artist proofs, and the artworks are even more exceptional.
Preview Video by Geoffrey Palmer. Note: Artist List is not reflective of final show
The exhibition is composed of seventy artists from throughout Magic’s history. From those that started with the game in 1993 to those that got their proofs just in the nick of time to be a part of the show, together they’ve created 297 miniature works to celebrate Magic’s now more than thirty year history. This is the largest collection of artist proofs ever assembled for display in the history of Magic: The Gathering.
The show will open to online patrons of the gallery on Friday, April 12th, first to their Esteemed Tier and then to their Member tier (more information can be found here). An in-person opening reception follows on Saturday, April 13th, with myself and a handful of exhibiting artists in attendance. From there the showcase will remain on view at the gallery in its entirety until April 28th, 2024.
A quick breakdown of the order of operations for purchasing:
Esteemed Patrons via Nucleus Patreon ($100)-First online entry into the show, 30-60 minutes before Member Patrons on Friday, April 12th*
Member Patrons via Nucleus Patreon ($10)- Online entry into the show Friday April 12, following the Esteemed Patrons*
Opening Reception- Purchase works in person in the gallery as the show opens to the public**
General Sales- Open online at Midnight following the in-person Opening Reception
*You can sign up for Patreon in April just for this show, and cancel anytime following the opening/purchases (if you so choose)
**Online sales continue up through and during the in-person reception
New for this year is tiered pricing, meaning that an artist is able to price their work within a range based on a given medium. This not only permitted more folks to join the show, but also resulted in even more extraordinary work submitted across the board. For 2024, pencil sketch APs will range $100-300, ink and non-painted color APs $200-$400, and painted APs will span $400-700.
And now for something very exciting- a full preview of the upcoming pieces of artwork that will be available! I’m not going to put the show’s first look behind a paywall, but if you’re excited to see the cards in their entirety, I’d very much appreciate you hitting the subscribe button before clicking through. This column will be the home for information about future shows, in addition to all my other Magic art articles, and I wouldn’t want you to miss that!
Show Preview
The Link to the Gallery Preview is HERE
**Please note the contents of the exhibition are subject to change at anytime**
From the early cards of Jesper Myrfors to the debut artist proofs by Carly Mazur, it’s all here folks. Artists from across the ages, mediums of all sorts, and something for literally every collector’s portfolio and budget.
And before I forget, each artist proof comes in its very own Frameamajig! These have once again been provided by the fine folks at Hit Point Press, and are the perfect way to display your brand new AP on the wall for all to see. And you can check out all the available accouterments here!
I very much look forward to seeing you at the gallery if you can make it, or talking about it here with you online. Please reach out to me directly with any questions, and thanks so much for checking out the show!
About Magic: The Gathering Artist Proofs: Artist Proofs are Magic: The Gathering cards printed with a white back instead of the standard design found on regular cards. They are exclusively issued to the artist of that card, and while some artists only sign their cards, many artists will also draw on the white back to create an original piece of artwork. Their rarity along with their connection to the artist that designed the card make these pieces highly sought after by fans of the game. You can learn more about them here and here.
About Nucleus: Founded in 2004 by Ben Zhu, Nucleus “has strived to be a welcoming gathering place for the art loving community by offering quality art, art-related goods, and rarities.” They routinely exhibit the work of artists both local and abroad, and under the guidance of curator Nicki France place an emphasis on illustration, animation, and narrative art. They are located in the San Gabriel Valley in Alhambra, CA, just outside of Los Angeles.
Such a cool show, I hope it stays a regular fixture!
Thanks so much Mike! Me too!