Wynwood Walls' Peter Tunney reflects on 15 years in Miami ahead of final exhibit
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Peter Tunney has become synonymous with Wynwood. Photo: Courtesy of artist.
Fifteen years ago, Peter Tunney, a self-described "hardcore New Yorker," came to Miami with about 10 paintings, planning to do a pop-up for about six months.
- Today, he's preparing for his final show, "Small Is Beautiful," in Wynwood Walls during Miami Art Week.
Why it matters: Tunney was the Walls' first tenant after opening his gallery, The Peter Tunney Experience, inside the space in 2010, just one year after it opened during Art Basel.
- Through the years, his art — and presence — has become synonymous with the neighborhood.
The big picture: The show is inspired by E.F. Schumacher's 1973 manifesto, "Small Is Beautiful: Economics As If People Mattered," and invites you to pay attention to the small joys you can experience every day.
- "Maximum isn't always appropriate, and I think it speaks to the current environment," Tunney recently told Axios.
- "There's so much to keep up with these days, such a plurality coming down on us. But for me, small is beautiful; I want to shrink my footprint," he said.
Zoom in: After years of creating massive works, the artist created 100 small original paintings over the last year, a collection of collages, found-object assemblages and mini-canvases.
- All were created from recycled materials he's collected during his time in Wynwood.
What they're saying: Wynwood has played a large role in Tunney's tenure in Miami, but the neighborhood's changing landscape, which he attributes to greedy real estate developers, isn't the reason he's choosing to leave now. ("Those agents are my clients," he joked.)
- Simply put: "I don't really want to do it anymore," he said.
- "I brought energy and sunshine every day to Wynwood," he said. "I gave thousands of tours every year [and] I lit it up in every way I could. I'm [moving toward] a little more scarcity than accessibility."
What's next: Tunney plans to keep his studio in Wynwood, but he will take his show on the road. He hopes to positively affect as many people as possible every day.
- Last year, the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners designated Nov. 17 as "Peter Tunney Day," which the artist says is a day when "you are mandated to go do something joyous."
The bottom line: "Those 15 years took a lot of energy," he said. "I probably should've left five years ago, but I'm a die-hard."