To borrow a phrase from the movie King Kong, "size does matter."
There's something magical about miniature kites. I think we shared some of that magic when we created the AKA Kite Art gallery at Muncie, Indiana. Many people discovered miniature kites for the first time. Others rediscovered miniature kites in forms they had never considered. Some newcomers found it fascinating that something as small and as delicate as a butterfly can be built to fly gracefully on a string.
The goal was to create the largest display of miniature kites ever assembled with 500 miniature kites! My vision for the event was to have a professional "Art Gallery" of miniature kites with elegant displays, lighting and soft music. This was not a competition. (In my opinion we have far too many competitions already!) but an art gallery designed to honor the beauty, style, grace, playfulness, and fun found in small kites. We did it together, the biggest ever with a wide variety of styles, materials, colors, types of kites, designs, and sizes from many countries worldwide.
Why are miniature kites so delightful? There are many reasons. They:
I have many personal favorite kites in the gallery... those that were both beautiful and unusual or rare. When I asked others to name their favorites, they often laughed because there were so many beautiful kites to choose from!
With so many kites, it was like visiting Disney World. You can't see it all in one visit and every time you visit you find something new. So let me point out just a few of the highlights of the display.
On display was Japanese art, Chinese art, erotic art, money, hand-made paper, two-line, arch, humor, ultra-tiny, butterflies, people, Codys, a mini line climber from Japan, Rokkakus, workshop kites, birds, seven sisters, napkin kites, teabag kites, fighter kites, a tube tail, innovative new designs, characters, tiny winders, antique kites, 200 year old bamboo kites, feather kite, folded kites of paper and mylar.
There was a display with some of the smallest kites in the world, another with some beautiful artistic work by Richard J Millner. One display contained possibly the most expensive kite per pound ever sold at approximately $3,000,000.00 per pound. There were kites imported from the Japan Kite Museum, miniature fighter kites from the International Friends of Small Kites (IFOSK), and miniature two-line stunt kites that are commercially produced in Austria. There were miniature arches such as a McDonald's golden arch and a "Pi in the sky" by Charlie Sotich. There were miniature kite trains, beautiful stencil work, a kite made from a peacock feather, and a small display of erotic art.
I would love to thank each of the artists here but there were just too many! Some of the artists include Charlie Sotich, Philippe Robert, Paul Berard, Charm Lindner, Stephen J. Millner, Todd Little, Laverne Meritt, Robyne Gardner, Robin Haas, Karl Heinzinger, Alfred Schwarz, Owen Grossman, Tom McAlister, Richard Page, Charmayne Umbowers, Robert Trepanier, Nobuhiko Yoshizumi, Harm van Veen, Dan Kurahashi, and many others. (Please let me know who I've missed.)
My personal thanks to Richard and Marti Dermer, Maureen Posillico, Gary and Amy Pittman, Charlie Sotich, Elizabeth Snodgrass, Archie Stewart, Paul Berard, Jim Davis, Doug Hoffman, Peter McMasters, Gary and Maggie Engvall, and each of the 60 people who submitted kites.
The dream continues with a display of miniatures at "Kites on Ice" in Wisconsin. Please join us!
Thanks again,
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