PC: Sophie Bates/AP News
Gabby Smith, who painted several murals in the alley, said the experience helped build her confidence as she moved towards pursuing art as a full-time career. A neglected alley in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, has been transformed into an unusual attraction filled with miniature artworks, a tiny movie theatre, colourful murals and a motion-activated dance spot. Known as the Hattiesburg Pocket Museum, the space offers visitors a closer look at small-scale creations displayed along an alley behind the Saenger Theater. The museum’s displays extend beyond the original window. Visitors can find a tiny art gallery and a movie theatre, alongside colourful murals painted along the alley. Other features include a keychain and DVD exchange, as well as a rainbow bridge where people can leave collars belonging to pets that have died. A motion-activated dance spot adds another unexpected feature as it plays music and switches on disco lighting when someone approaches. Miniature figures are placed throughout the passage, including scenes of characters peering over electrical boxes and travelling down painted drainage pipes. The displays are often colourful and sometimes hidden, making careful observation part of the visit. Her husband, Rick, is the executive director of the Hattiesburg Convention Commission, the organisation that runs both the museum and the theatre. The project has also given local artists a place to show their work.
