Magic: The Gathering in Miniature III
111 Artists, 333 Artist Proofs- Opening January 31, 2026 @ Nucleus, Los Angeles, CA
In just a few days, Magic: The Gathering in Miniature III will open at Gallery Nucleus in Alhambra, California. I once again have the immense privilege to guest-curate this third exhibition of sketched and painted artist proofs, following in the footsteps of Shows I & II from the last few years. For this third iteration, there are 333 Artist Proofs from 111 of Magic’s finest, on the occasion of the game’s 33rd year.
Preview Video by Geoffrey Palmer. Note: Artist List is not reflective of final show
The range of artist’s span from those that began with the game in it’s first set, Limited Edition Alpha, to those who’s first Secret Lair cards came out mere months ago. This is once again 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 (of which anyone can join) on Friday, January 30th. The Esteemed Tier ($100) and then to their Member tier ($10) will have first go at these miniature masterpieces, and more information can be found here on that opportunity if you so desire. An in-person opening reception follows on Saturday, January 31st, and I’ll again be flying cross-country to open the show alongside a handful of attending artists. The entire gallery will remain on view at the until February 15, 2026.
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, January 30th*
Member Patrons via Nucleus Patreon ($10)- Online entry into the show Friday January 30th, 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 January 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
Pricing this year is open, with a $200 floor. While most APs will be in the $300-$500 range, some exceptional rarities of cards and seldom seen artists will have pieces nearing and in four figures, a not often chance to collect something incredibly special, and only here.
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 card artwork (card names and prices will be available once the show opens), 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 fan favorites like Serena Malyon to the never-before-seen APs of Kaitlin McCulley
To the pristine pencils of A.M Sartor and amazing acrylics by Babs Webb
The artists of Magic have pulled out all the stops, left no experimental stone unturned, and created a show that’ll we'll remember and talk about for a very long time.
And you can own a piece of it.
If you’ll be at the show, please come find me and say hi, and likewise if you have any questions leading up to the event you can find me everywhere online @DonnyCaltrider. Thanks so much for reading this and your support of the artists that make Magic what it is
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.
Thanks for article and the reminder to join the Gallery Nucleus Patreon https://patreon.com/gallerynucleus
A lot going on these days, but I'd hate to miss out on very-accessible $200 floor on amazing unique art!