Union Street venue to display a wall of miniature originals during the Inverness Fringe
A city centre shop is offering Highland creatives and newcomers alike a rare opportunity to exhibit during this autumn's inaugural Inverness Fringe.
Oil & Vinegar on Union Street has announced an exhibition concept in which every piece must fit within the size of a standard CD case. The provisional title for the display is The Little Picture, and the finished artworks will be arranged together to form a larger mosaic on a prominent wall inside the store.
Organisers say submissions are open to professionals, amateurs, students and anyone who has never shown work before. There is no entry fee and artists may submit up to three pieces each for selection. Almost any medium will be considered — painting, drawing, photography, print, collage, textiles, digital work or mixed media — so long as the finished piece conforms to the CD-sized format and is suitable for display in a family-friendly retail environment.
"The CD format gives everyone exactly the same tiny space to work with. What they do inside it is entirely up to them," Paul Haigh of Oil & Vinegar Inverness said.
All works accepted for the show will be offered for sale with a maximum asking price of £100. The shop has pledged to take no commission, ensuring artists receive the full sale price. Submissions will be curated to maintain the overall standard of the exhibition and to ensure the works are appropriate for the public setting.
How the exhibition will work
- Anyone may apply — established artists, hobbyists and first-time exhibitors alike.
- There is no charge to submit work; up to three pieces per artist.
- Each artwork must fit inside a standard CD case.
- Selected works will be priced up to £100 and sold with no commission taken by the shop.
The proposal emphasises accessibility for both creators and would-be collectors. By capping prices at £100 and waiving commission, organisers say the exhibition is intended to make buying original art easier for first-time collectors while ensuring artists keep the proceeds of any sale.
Selection will be based on the work itself rather than the artist's biography or exhibition history, the organisers add. That approach is designed to encourage a mix of pieces and to allow for surprising juxtapositions — with established names potentially appearing alongside those showing their first work.
Local context and likely impact
Inverness is building a reputation for growing cultural programming beyond its traditional festivals, and the new Fringe aims to add fresh, grassroots energy to the city's arts calendar. A shop-based exhibition such as this brings artworks into everyday retail spaces and can introduce a wider public to contemporary work that might otherwise be confined to galleries.
For artists, the format presents practical advantages: small-scale work reduces material and storage costs, and the low sales ceiling combined with no commission may offer an attractive commercial experiment for those testing a market for their work. For the city, the mosaic-style display could create an eye-catching feature on Union Street during the Fringe period, encouraging footfall and conversation about the festival's programme.
Further details about submission deadlines, times and the curation process were not provided in the announcement. Prospective entrants should contact Oil & Vinegar Inverness directly or consult the Inverness Fringe listings for application information when it becomes available.
| Detail | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Size | Standard CD case |
| Pieces per artist | Up to 3 |
| Entry fee | None |
| Price cap | £100 (maximum) |
| Commission | None (artist keeps full sale price) |
The initiative is part of a broader push to involve local people directly in the Fringe, rather than presenting only curated shows for passive viewing. By giving every participant precisely the same small canvas, organisers hope to spotlight creativity in miniature — and perhaps reveal big ideas in compact form.
Inverness residents and creatives interested in taking part should monitor the Inverness Fringe announcements and the Oil & Vinegar Inverness social channels for the formal call for submissions and detailed instructions.
