The Small Object is my shop + my name is Sarah Neuburger. I was born in the Midwest and raised in the South, I spent most of my childhood mapping out elaborate neighborhood monorail bicycle map systems, singing "It's a Small World" until my mother could take no more and teaching my inanimate objects how to color, count and sew. After spending some time hopping from Brooklyn to Manhattan to Jersey City, I left the island with a Masters degree from the School of Visual Arts and retreated back to the land of boiled peanuts + sweet iced tea. And now, I run this little cottage industry for my own goods that offers up delightful, eccentric everyday objects--from original artwork to paper goods + housewares. To date, I have made more than 500 Little Small Clothespin People which, if you multiply that by a million, is more than U.S. population this year. Holy moly.

Now, if you really like reading, here is a long version of how this all came to pass. Settle in and here goes...

This first bit is not so much about The Small Object but me (I'm Sarah Neuburger, pleased to meet you) and my first trip to California. Bear with me here, I'll make a point soon enough.

My dad's parents lived out in California until I was about 13 and one day we went to visit them. I don't even remember now which part it was since all I recall of that trip to California are snails and golf carts. My grandparents were living in one of those gated communities where children were only allowed in the pool for a few hours each day. I found this ridiculously unfair and cruel.

During this time, I was still of the napping age and was forced to take my nap in the back bedroom in my grandparents bed away from all the action in the living room. I also found this unfair and cruel. The bed was a large king size bed with more space than I could ever imagine to wiggle about and above it was a painting (see image to the left) a friend of the family had made. The painting is an image of some boulders and rocks, slightly abstracted but rocks, nonetheless. Now, this was not just any painting. I was told, and reminded on a daily basis, that when an earthquake hit California, since it was really only a matter of time, I had to jump out of bed really quick or else all the rocks in the painting would fall down on top of me and bury me alive. I thought it was the most wonderful thing in the world.

And that is just the thing that I get giddy about and why The Small Object was made. This shop is my own little cottage industry for my artwork and other objects of our everyday. But artwork and objects that can make something mundane even more wonderful. Like rocks falling out of paintings, anything is possible. Tiny, small things are possible that can make big, giant things happen. Little folks sleeping in our floorboards and mice wearing tuxedos. It can happen. I am most certain.

At this particular point in time, I live in Savannah, Georgia. Though I find great amusement in being born in a town called Normal, IL. I've also done a stint in New York and New Jersey before and after getting my MFA from the School of Visual Arts which is when I was given the rock painting. And now I hang it above my bed and practice jumping up really quick even though we don't get many earthquakes in the area, it's still good fun and I want to be ready. Anything is possible.

My many thanks,