Ottawa-based artist Street Art Miniature (SAM) has amassed over 2,000 followers by posting photos of their original, coin-sized food sculptures hidden within the city on Instagram.
SAM, who prefers to use their artistic pseudonym, plants miniature sculptures of foods such as shrimp, cheesecake and pizza around downtown Ottawa.
The artist then posts close-up photos of the sculptures to their Instagram with captions including hints to the locations of the items. It’s up to SAM’s followers to discover where they’re placed.
“Minis are hidden spontaneously. I keep them on me at all times. If I see a spot that’s looking like it needs a mini, I’ll put one there and snap a picture,” SAM said.
SAM said they began hiding and posting miniatures to Instagram in 2016 while drawing inspiration from other street artists.
“The idea to use my miniatures as part of a street art project came from an eye-opening street art tour of Shoreditch in London, England,” SAM said. “It was there that I learned street art isn’t only about murals—it can be basically anything including stickers, wheat pastes and painted bits of gum.”
SAM said they hide miniatures for the love of art, to make people smile and to hear the stories of friends and family getting together to look for their miniatures.
Since 2016, public interest in SAM’s street art adventures has grown through social media and opened the door to other opportunities such as personal commissions and collaborations with other artists.
TRP613, an Ottawa-based street artist and Carleton alumnus who goes by T, collaborated with SAM in the summer of 2020. T specializes in street, digital and fine arts, and is best known for his signature sailor character that he posts in sticker form all over Ottawa. He said he really enjoyed spending time with SAM on their project together.
“I worked with SAM on a street art collaboration. They made a mini sailor dude and put it in the streets. It was really well done and they gave me one to keep,” he said.
According to T, SAM is a legend in the Ottawa street art scene and he’s looking forward to the next opportunity they have to work together.
“I love working with SAM and hope we do more projects. SAM is one of my favourite street artists and I am always excited to see their stuff,” TRP613 said.
Veronica Roy, a burlesque artist and the executive director of House of Paint, an Ottawa-based hip hop festival, said she has also collaborated with SAM.
SAM made six House of Paint themed miniatures in the summer of 2019, scattered them across the city and hosted a scavenger hunt for people to enjoy.
Roy said she thinks more people should take the time to appreciate SAM’s work. She added her biggest takeaway of working with SAM was the realization of how their art helps others to really enjoy life.
“It’s fun and whimsical. It really encapsulates some of the ideas of urban art in a beautiful way that people who are aware of their surroundings can enjoy,” said Roy. “You can be walking down the street and see a hot dog in the sidewalk cracks.”
Those hoping to take to the streets for some miniature hunting can keep an eye on SAM’s Instagram account for the next clue or stay tuned for the Game of Shrooms event SAM is taking part in, set to be held on June 12.
Featured image by SAM.
