Children's Art Gallery

This is the world's smallest children's art gallery, according to an official plaque outside of this building awarded by the Guinness World Records. And it IS tiny! It's about as big as a large shed. But inside is a whole lot of art made by children at local Carmel schools. Each month, the artwork changes, and art from different elementary schools are featured. There is also a revolving display of artwork from the Carmel middle schools and Carmel High School. You'll also see artwork from children from Kawachinagano in Japan, which is the sister city of Carmel. The woman who works inside the children's art gallery is super friendly and knowledgable, and was able to answer all of our first-timer questions. Don't plan to stay very long here -- it's super tiny, so at most, it would take you about five minutes to examine all of the art. But it's worth the visit if you happen to be in the area when the gallery is open!

Also known as the Carmel Arts Council Gallery, this tiny building (actually 2 small buildings front to back) sits on a prime space on Main Street.The front room as you enter is filled with thematic artwork arranged in groupings from local elementary schools. Periodically, the work is changed to showcase the work of a different school.The back room is for the middle and high school artwork. Where the front room is filled with images that feature the combined impact of the themes, the back room has less artwork, but more advanced in technique, allowing the individual pieces to become the focal point. Some of the artwork is very skilled and you really see the progression as you step from the front to the back room.The gallery has very limited hours, so for all my visits to Carmel, this was the first time I've seen the gallery open. Still, I like that it gives the kids a chance to see their work showcased and encourages art in the curriculum. The gallery has an arrangement with two sister cities, one in Japan and one in China. The artwork gets shared and at those times, the students can check out how their counterparts view themes as well as know their work is being looked at in a foreign country. Very cool!The gallery's small size makes for a quick visit, so if you catch them when they are open, then stop by.Review #2495

It's so cool that there is a gallery just for kids artwork! I like to pop in here on the Gallery Walk Nights. The art is updated pretty frequently so I like to see the new stuff. I love it's all local kids. This month they even had an exhibit from I believe a school in Carmel's sister city in China. It was really cool to see that! It's not very big, but they use all the space! Art is hung from ceiling to floor on the walls. You should look up the hours. I am not sure if it's open very often. It is on Gallery Walk nights, but the website I just looked up says only a few hours on Sundays.

I have never seen an art gallery quite like the Children's Art Gallery in Carmel. It's possibly (absolutely) the most adorable little place I've ever seen.The gallery, named the smallest children's art gallery in the world by the Guinness Book of World Records, displays art from different schools in Carmel on a rotating basis. But don't blink. You'll miss this quaint little cottage on Main Street if you don't pay close attention. And if you do find it, and you have kids who don't attend Carmel schools, you'll be asked the same question my two oldest boys asked me: "Why can't I hang my stuff in here?"If your kid's best pieces can't hang in this small gallery, I suggest you do what we've done: Create your own gallery in your home. But I agree. It's not as cool as the Children's Art Gallery. But not much is.

Absolutely and positively a must-see if you ever find yourself in Carmel. Amidst the uber-gentrification of downtown Carmel, there is this tiny, rehabbed house that features the world's smalled art gallery, which suitably features the art of little people. That would be children, not dwarves. How this place escaped the bulldozer is a question for the ages. Seriously, I think the President should get every town in the US to find a spot for a gallery for their kids. Such a great idea. I might be a little prejudiced because I love childrens' art. Okay, I love just about all art, but there's something about the perfect composition and colors in the best of these works that really holds its own. At least for me. One of the really cool features here is the back room, which has works from Carmel's Japanese sister city. Another great idea. The curator of this little museum is super-nice, although she has a pretty heavy Spanish accent. I'm not so good at understanding heavy accents, but thankfully this place speaks for itself...and I think I responded correctly to all her comments. Stop by and drop a few bucks in the fishbowl. The money goes toward scholarships for local art students.