The Mµseum

An installation that both houses works of art and is itself a work of art, the Micro Museum (it’s supposed to be «Museum» with the Greek symbol for mew instead of a ‘u’ — you science folks get the pun — but Unilocal doesn’t seem to like that character) is an adorable and fascinating addition to Somerville’s arts landscape. A showroom custom-​built to fit into a nook between two buildings in the heart of Union Square brings the works of local artists to eye-​level. If you have ever felt traditional, full-​sized museums were too pretentious or too overwhelming, stop by the Micro Museum. The fact that you can tour the entire exhibit without stepping foot inside* really heightens the accessibility.
[*Stepping foot inside the Micro Museum is highly discouraged by the management, even if your feet –are– that petite.]
Don’t just admire the art housed within; appreciate the construct itself. This might be the smallest museum in the world… not sure how to fact-​check that. But it is unambiguously a museum; classic fluted columns and peaked roof invite you inside, where you are met with hardwood floor and perfect museum-​style track lighting.
Don’t let its small size fool you; it has a big impact. (Shush, you knew this obvious wordplay was coming, and there’s more coming.) It highlights local artists, and brings their works out into the open in a visible and casually reachable way. People can barely resist at least sneaking a peek while passing by on the way to a local business. And the exhibitions may be small, but the curation is weighty: the inaugural exhibition investigates «the physical and emotional landscape of the city,» playing with the small shared spaces, looking at the fringes and borders, the minutia we all share but may not notice, as they blur into the periphery of our lives, dim in our minds as the unimportant details, yet they are some of the hidden threads that stitch our intersecting experiences together. It’s a high concept tucked into a low place. (Warned you.) But that’s just me, and I’m art-​illiterate; so go get your own read on it.