I guest curated an exhibition of Magic: The Gathering artist proof cards.
It’s the third time I’ve done it, all at Nucleus in Los Angeles, CA. This latest iteration was larger than the last by about 10%, consisting of 333 sketched, inked, and painted Magic artist proofs from 111 of the game’s artists, numerically themed to celebrate Magic’s 33rd birthday in 2026. I chose each artist, in many cases helped them choose their three cards, and made sure that an email invitation translated to three miniature masterpieces hanging on a wall at the end of January. Cards from all corners of the globe across six continents came together in a single room in Southern California, and it was magnificent.
The gallery, a calm before the storm.
The online Patreon Preview was brisk with sales, selling more than half the show in the first evening online. The following day the show opened in person, and was the most well-attended of any of the three shows, with patrons, collectors and fans filling the gallery for three full hours until it was time to lock the doors.
Attendees on Opening Night
The show officially ended its public viewing on February 15th after a two-week run, but the remaining works will stay available online for about a year. But this past weekend, it crossed an incredible threshold in one fell swoop, making it the most successful endeavor yet in all aspects:
- Over 70% Sold – 236 out of 333 available proofs
- Over $100,000 in sales. $101,652 to be exact, as of the writing of this article.
It still feels surreal to see numbers like as a result of more than a half a year’s hard work. Artists from around the world get money in their pocket, collectors get something special with provenance, and a gallery that is fighting the good fight for art can fight for another year. A crazy idea four years ago is now much less crazy, and has become something folks look forward to. And a six-figure show to boot? How neat is that?
Press
There was more show press for this event than any other, and contrary to what you might read on social media from one Vorthos Mike, it wasn’t just me yelling into the interwebs. These are the quick links your perusal, edification, and enjoyment (and for future reference):
Announcing Magic: The Gathering in Miniature III
Tiny Treasures by Sarah Finnigan
Magic: The Gathering in Miniature III Substack Show Preview
An Interview With Donny Caltrider, Ahead of Magic in Miniature III by Josh Nelson
White Chip Art Guest Post: Magic: The Gathering in Miniature III by John Dale Beety
Magic in Miniature III: An Interview With Three of Its Artists by Josh Nelson
Show Highlights
While I could say something exceptional about every artist and each inclusion, I would like to highlight just a handful of works from this third showing. For some it was their very first- first show, first painted, or first proofs period:
Clockwise from top left: Gary Baseman, Feifei Ruan, Kaitlyn McCulley, Carly Milligan
Watching folks level up from show to show, or after a long hiatus, is a curator’s treat
Clockwise from top left: Jarel Threat, Mariah Tekulve, Danny Schwartz, Darrell Riche
No matter the medium
Clockwise from top left: Babs Webb, Rovina Cai, Eli Minaya, Liiga Smilshkalne
And that’s just 12 of over 300 pieces. Every single one has a story to tell. Maybe when we get to one or two more a book will be in order.
Work Still Available
As I mentioned before, unsold pieces will remain available for about a year, coming offline in early 2027. If you haven’t yet checked out the show (or decide you’d like to come back for more), these are also some highlights of what’s still available:
Triptychs from Bud Cook, Jeanne D’Angelo, and Schmandrew
Dragons from Justine Jones, Allen Douglas, Tyler Walpole, and in his own way, Erol Otus
Planeswalkers and Legends from Zara Alfonso, Aaron Riley, Ben Hill and Nicholas Gregory
And inks from Sam Heimer, Jody Clark, and Crom
Less than 100 APs remain available, and that number drops each day. While the gallery will be having a Spring Sale and a Black Friday Sale before these come down for good, the time is now if you find something you love!
Thank You
Something of this scale does not happen on its own, and special thanks are in order.
To my wife and son: No undertaking like this comes lightly, and without sacrifice of time and energy to other things. Thank you for letting me live my dream.
To Nucleus, gallery owner Ben and the absolute force of a curator, Nicki France: Thank you for taking a chance on a guy with a lot of ‘little’ ideas when you absolutely did not have to. Hard to believe we’re here!
To the artists: This show does not happen without you, and your trust in me. Thank you for giving up your time, energy, and dollars to keep the tide rising for all boats. You are what make this exceptional.
To the collectors, and shout out to the AP Discord: none of this happens without you either; your support of the artists, and your support of me. Thank you for always showing up, and making this niche the greatest in the whole game
To the Sickos, and the Known Associates- you all know who you are- your belief in me is unwavering and your encouragement electrifying. Thank you for being the sounding board of sick ideas, for together we can make this place weirder, and better for it.
To the folks that hyped this show in print and online- Sarah Finnigan, John Dale Beety, Nick Wolf and Josh Nelson at EDHREC, and all the people that posted photos and videos during the opening and the week after: your assistance was essential, your excitement is infectious, and it has made all the difference.
And finally, a thank you to Rhianna Wilson, the Senior Art Administrator at Wizards of the Coast.
She is responsible for coordinating every single artist proof that passes to an artist’s hand. Thousands upon thousands of cards a year. Making sure they’re made, up to standard, and get where they’re going. She cares so incredibly deeply about this, and came to the show on her own volition. I could not do any of the things I do without her being the greatest of all time at what she does. And I truly mean that.
To everyone who touched this exhibition in some way, thank you.
Wrapping Up
Before I wax poetic any longer, we’ll wrap this up. I usually don’t write things like this, but Magic: The Gathering in Miniature III was a record-setting endeavor by all metrics, and one I’ll likely never best. It was an exercise in making something that matters, helping to create the Giant in hopes that someone else in the future will have a shoulder to stand on. It was an unbelievable experience, an incredible amount of work, and I’d do it all over again given the chance.
And with that…
Stay tuned.
Donny Caltrider (he/him) has been writing about Magic: The Gathering art since 2018. He has an M.A. in Museum Studies from Johns Hopkins University, and works in varying capacities as an agent with nearly 50 Magic artists.
He likes baseball, Magic, good cards, great art, whiskey, and you.