Northampton launches tiny art scavenger hunt festival downtown this weekend

Northampton will debut a new festival this weekend that reimagines outdoor art as a downtown scavenger hunt. Fun Sized: A Tiny Public Art Festival takes place Saturday, September 26, and Sunday, September 27, inviting participants to search for 16 tiny works of art hidden in corners, storefronts, alleyways and other unexpected spaces throughout downtown.

Kim Carlino and Michael Crigler, who run Bright Matter Studios, created the festival to give artists a way to experiment with public art at a smaller scale. "Public art tends to be large murals or large sculptures, and it's hard for an artist to break into that," Carlino said. She and Crigler wanted to make art accessible and fun while encouraging people to explore parts of downtown they might otherwise miss.

Participants pick up a map at Thornes Marketplace, Urban Outfitters, or the Northampton Jazz Fest table at Pulaski Park. The map contains 15 numbered clues that guide hunters to venues across the downtown area. A pink "X" on the ground marks the general location of each artwork. Once found, hunters scan a QR code to hear the artist discuss their work and collect a letter that corresponds to their map clue.

The letters spell out a cryptogram, and solving it reveals the location of the "Golden Moment," a final installation not listed on the map. The entire hunt takes about an hour, though participants can take their time exploring. Five venues offer what organizers call "tiny offerings" of food, drinks, or goodies as additional incentives.

The artist lineup includes 16 creators, all but one of whom live in Massachusetts. They were selected from a pool of more than 60 applicants. Among them is Raishad Glover, whose work draws inspiration from "Black excellence" and meditation. He said working at a small scale requires artists to "guide the viewer to look and to focus and concentrate on things that are out of the ordinary, and with that, you build up a connection with the audience."

Crigler and Carlino see the festival as a way to foster connection to place. "Even a little tiny artwork can be an anchor point to a place, and that creates a sense of belonging," Carlino said. The artworks will remain on display through October, with some potentially becoming permanent installations.

Participation is free. For details, visit funsizedartfest.com. Artist and curator talks and live demonstrations will run throughout the festival weekend.