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Shea'la Finch and Jon Buonaccorsi are self-described "nerds and knuckleheads." But don't let them fool you. In 2005, these two dreamers from Rhode Island hatched a plan to make art more accessible to the non-gallery-attending populace.

Tiny Showcase is the fruit of their furtive planning, and the site's goal hasn't changed in the three years of operation. Their mission? Offer up a tiny limited-run print each week for art enthusiasts to "take home...for around the same price as a CD, book or record..."

We've been fans of the Showcase since it started and were lucky enough to score a conversation with the enchanting Ms. Finch. She's one half of the titanic Tiny Showcase empire and her thoughtful answers demonstrate the colorful spirit behind this arty adventure...

Hey Shea'la, what was the impetus behind the creation of Tiny Showcase (TS)?

We were born to out-idea each other. Your typical idea freestyle session can happen anywhere, anytime, and normally begins, "What if we..."

The ideas are normally outlandish, ridiculous, and seemingly impossible. Read the full profile...

While browsing in a flea market several years ago, Alex Forman came across a box of little plastic men. The gentlemen, all 2" tall and exquisitely dressed, made up an uninterrupted set of American presidents from George Washington to Richard Nixon. Alex was struck by how "even in miniature, their gestures belied attitudes of entitlement; their poses, perfect public bearing." He set out to capture their photographic likenesses, and the results challenge the presidential veneer of control. The images are often dark and moody. Shadows play across the men's faces. In some cases, they appear to be clenching their fists. Alex paired the portraits with brief, well-crafted glimpses into each man's character. Here are three of our favorite excerpts...

 

• Thomas Jefferson: "A gangling, freckled, hazel-eyed redhead, he was a sloucher and a lounger."
• Woodrow Wilson: "Wilson's handshake was described as a ten-cent pickled mackerel in brown paper."
• Harry S. Truman: "Truman always drove too fast."