St. Armands Circle gets new element of whimsy with Tiny Door installation

Artist Joan Love couldn't hope for a better reaction to her work than when children spy the works hidden in plain sight.

Whether it's because their perspective is a little closer to the ground, they have an eye for magic or some combination of the two, they have a talent for being some of the first to find her "Tiny Door" artwork. Love said she is delighted to see the faces of viewers of all ages light up upon noticing the colorful doors sprinkled throughout the Sarasota area.

Her latest installation found a home on St. Armands Circle last week outside Gauthier Salon & Wellness Spa.

The Tiny Doors draw inspiration from the full-size shops and buildings around them. In this case, the teal door is decorated with the silhouette of a woman's face, topped with a flower crown. One of the salon's own stylists painted the mural on the staircase that inspired Love.

Owners Sonia and Serge Gauthier said they extended an invitation to Love as part of their ongoing efforts to uplift local artists.

Photo by Dana Kampa

"I love our regular art fairs, but there is so much room here," Sonia said while gesturing around the studio. "For us, a focus on local is super important, so we were glad to find this woman with so much talent and help put it out there for people to see."

Currently, four Tiny Doors reside on St. Armands Circle, with another awaiting restoration. Keen-eyed viewers can also find more than 30 others throughout the Sarasota area, mostly along Main Street.

Love said she originally came up with the idea when bringing home a few keepsakes from a clay factory while on a trip to Italy around 2018.

She brought home eight souvenirs in her suitcase. Not long after returning home, Love saw them as blank canvases.

Photo by Dana Kampa

Eventually, a forest-green door with Christmas decorations, flanked by both evergreen and palm trees, popped up near John Ringling Bridge. Thus, the Tiny Doors series was born.

"When I first started, I came out to the Circle at midnight, dressed in all black, and I brought my girlfriend so, if I went to jail, she could call my husband," Love said with a laugh, reminiscing about her first installations.

Love started working with building owners to bring her diminutive decorations to the public. Once she worked through the original eight Italian doors, she started ordering more from a London producer.

The retired teacher said she now shares her artistic talents solely to bring some surprise cheer to the community. She doesn't charge the businesses for her talents. She does, however, invite them to offer ideas for inspiration.

Love said she is especially glad to collaborate with St. Armands shops given how hard they worked over the past year to recover from hurricane damage.

"The one in front of Starbucks has kind of been destroyed," she said. "I used to sit there with my coffee and watch little kids knock on the door and put little gifts by the fairy door."

Those seeking out the doors can find hints to their locations on her Instagram page, "TinyDoorsSRQ."

She previously maintained a QR code-based scavenger hunt for fans, an element she hopes to bring back soon.

Photo by Dana Kampa

Each door has its own character that she appreciates, but Love said she was personally pleased with one celebrating Brutus Buckeye, the grinning Ohio State mascot.

Sonia Gauthier said she sees the whimsical works as a fitting tribute to John Ringling's vision. He was the one who brought the Circle's iconic statues home. 

Love said she remembers drawing inspiration from similar artists based in Atlanta.

"I said to myself, 'It's so artsy here in Sarasota. This has got to happen,'" she said.