Small Symposium

 

The Lemon Art Research Library hosts the Museum’s first Small Symposium, welcoming scholars, artists, and more who uncover the expansive world of miniatures. 

 

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Saturday Symposium Line-Up May 2, 2026 

Access to all talks is included with general admission  

 

 

• Miniature Model Making 101 with Jorge Ruiz   

May 2 at 10 am in Singer Hall  

Have you ever wanted to build your own miniature world but didn’t know where to start? Join local artist Jorge Ruiz for a lecture demonstration that mixes his personal history with the craft. Ruiz will share “pro tips” for beginning your own journey into the exacting world of miniature making. 

 

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• Narcissa Thorne: Modern Miniaturist of the Thorne Rooms  

May 2 at 11 am in Singer Hall  

Dr. Christopher “Kit” Maxwell, Curator of the Thorne Rooms at the Art Institute of Chicago, examines Narcissa Niblack Thorne’s powerhouse impact on interwar design. While often dismissed by architectural authorities as an amateur in her time, Thorne engaged closely with current design debates and built a wide audience through exhibitions at museums and world’s fairs. Dr. Maxwell will discuss how her rooms depicting centuries of European and American interiors illuminate 1930s questions of taste, gender, and the cultural uses of the past.  

 

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• Thorne Room + Miniatures Panel  

May 2 at 1 pm in Singer Hall  

Engage in a lively cross-disciplinary discussion with scholars and makers of various backgrounds. Topics will range from the legacy of the Thorne Rooms to the role of miniatures in modern pop culture.  

Moderator: Rachel Zebro, Associate Curator of Collections 

Panelists: Dr. Christopher “Kit” Maxwell, Corinne Botz, and Jorge Ruiz  

 

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Sunday Symposium Line-Up May 3, 2026  

Access to all talks is included with general admission. Workshop with Jorge Ruiz requires a separate ticket. 

 

 

• WORKSHOP – DIY Weathering Effects with Jorge Ruiz  

🎟️ Additonal tickets are required for this workshop.

May 3 at 10 am–noon in Singer Hall | $10 for Members, $20 for the public   

Learn the art of the “lived-in” look in this two-hour, hands-on workshop with local miniature artist Jorge Ruiz. Discover painting techniques that will help you achieve realistic weathering on models and miniatures. All materials are included. Attendees can take home their weathered miniature object.  

 

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• The Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death 

May 3 at 1 pm in Singer Hall  

Step into a macabre, dollhouse-sized world of true crime. Created in the early 20th century by Frances Glessner Lee (1878−1962), a contemporary of Narcissa Niblack Thorne, the Nutshell Studies are exquisitely detailed crime scene dioramas used to train homicide investigators. Join author and photographer Corrine Botz for a deep dive into how these rooms revolutionized forensics and continue to captivate pop culture today.  

 

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• David Gonzalez and the Homies   

May 3 at 2 pm in Singer Hall  

Librarian Jesse Lopez presents a look into the influence of David Gonzalez, the trailblazing Chicano artist behind the iconic Homies. From his early work in Lowrider Magazine and Teen Angel to the global phenomenon of the Homies universe, learn how Gonzalez’s lived experiences helped define a generation of Chicano art aesthetics.