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Artist proofs are often the crown jewel of the collections of many in the Magic: The Gathering community. These cards, essential in many functions, are also a prime canvas for artists to create small pieces of original art. As such, the upcoming exhibition, Magic in Miniature III, seeks to curate some of the coolest artist proofs by 111 Magic artists.

This exhibition, opening tomorrow, Saturday, January 31st, is organized and managed by Donny Caltrider, a prolific name in the Magic art world spoken of with utmost respect among those involved in it. Magic in Miniature III is exhibited physically at Gallery Nucleus in Alhambra, California, but will be viewable online in its entirety as well on Feb. 1.

We interviewed Donny, and present that interview here for your journalistic absorption and satisfaction!

Donny Caltrider, On Artist Proofs and Magic in Miniature's Origins

EDHREC: First off, for those who don’t know, what are artist proofs, and what is their significance to you?

Donny Caltrider: Artist Proofs are white-backed versions of Magic cards given to artists after their artwork is printed on a published Magic card. They exist in extremely limited quantities, and thus are technically rarer than any regular card printed, although they are not tournament legal. They are only printed once per printing, meaning when an artist has sold or given away all APs from a given set, they are gone forever unless found again on the secondary market. They have existed since the game began, and so too has the art on the back, evolving from convention sketches and sharpie doodles to now fully rendered oil paintings, mixed media works, and the like.

For me there is no better Magic memento than an AP; they could be a token keepsake of an event, the ultimate customization of a Commander deck, or a thoughtful gift to a friend. In all of these they are a memory that lives on way past a game piece.

How did you come into the business of curating this exhibit? What is your experience surrounding Magic’s art and its artists?

A long and winding road. The abbreviated version:

I discovered the MTG Art Market on Facebook, where much of the original card artwork is sold and traded, in 2017. I was head over heels and down the rabbit hole. I was fresh off a graduate degree in Museum Studies from Johns Hopkins University, and voracious to tell the stories of objects. And I had now just discovered the visual narrative of my favorite game in the world.

I began writing for Hipsters of the Coast in 2018, and wrote there until 2023 (and then again resuming this year). To date I’ve written more than 400 art-related articles for Hipsters of the Coast, as well as writing for Star City Games, Trading Card Pro Magazine, and my own Substack, Snack Time on The Stack.

As a part of this I interviewed dozens of artists, saw their work online and in person at places like IX, collected pieces of my own and fully immersed myself in this world. At the beginning of 2020, I was referred an artist by Mike Linnemann, who had just helped him sell his last original. Richard Sardinha wanted to paint on some of his proofs, but Mike was at capacity and asked if I had an interest in helping Rick sell these APs; I had a background selling things too, specifically art and antiques, for the last decade before that.

I ran some auctions for Rick in January, the world shut down in March of that year and I did some reach out to other artists I knew and had written about/worked with to see if they were interested in the same. The snowball began to roll down hill as those contacts began to have traditional work come out, more sought after cards and APs, etc. Paintings got better, folks started to realize just how amazing these miniature masterpieces are, and now five years later we’re here!

Today I work regularly with more than three dozen different Magic artists at any given time, all in varying capacities as needed.

The three AP painting selections by Rovina Cai.

How has this exhibition grown since the first time? What’s changed about the format to reflect the state of Magic art since then?

The first show opened January 2023, and had 41 artists with 149 artist proofs. Works were priced by tier: $100 for pencil sketched APs, $200 for ink and non-painted color works, and $400 for painted APs. The show sold more than 50% opening night and about 70% overall, which was an incredible result for the first time.

The second show was just under 300 pieces from 70 artists. We expanded the pricing parameters to allow for more folks to join, Pencil APs could be $100-$300, Ink and Non-Painted Color from $200-400, and Painted APs were $400-$700. This show also sold more than 50% by the time the run ended and smashed the previous sales record, partially due to the new pricing but largely because the overall quality of the show had risen too.

And then finally this show, the largest ever, is 111 artists, 333 artist proofs, in celebration of Magic: The Gathering’s 33rd year. The floor is $300 with no other stipulations otherwise. There are artists presenting their very first APs, longtime veterans of the genre, folks that have only done one Magic card and others that have done more than 200. Six continents are represented and each artist has contributed exactly three works, the best of their best. It’s going to be a sight to behold.

Artist proofs painted by Mike Burns.

What went into the organization of this art show? How did you manage to get 111 artists to showcase their artist proofs?

This show was built on the success of the previous two, plain and simple.

From a purely logistical standpoint, it’s a LOT of emails. I do not use a cc or bcc when I initially reach out; each artist gets their own handwritten email, and that’s something I firmly believe in. If I’m going to ask you to do my show, I’m actually going to ask you, not just launch an all-call into the aether.

The list has fluctuated a bit, with folks needing to drop out due to things that came up, but also other folks discovering the opportunity and wanting to join. We should still hit exactly 333 APs so long as everything lines up.

I work alongside the gallery curator, Nicki France, who is a force and whom without this show would not be possible. We have a shared Google Sheet with all the nitty gritty. I started on this one early, and have been working on it for around nine months by the time it opens.

An artist proof painting by Christopher Burdett.

On the Exhibition and its Direction

What artistic sensibilities drive the main direction of the exhibition? Put another way, what were you looking for from each artist?

One of the beautiful things about this exhibition is that it is very light art directed. I am happy to give folks ideas, provide examples of what worked in the past, or what I think they might excel at. But ultimately I encourage artists to do their thing, whatever that is, as well as they can do it, and try something new in the process wherever possible.

The result is everything from pencil sketches to oil paintings, mixed media collages and 3d elements, monochromatic to every color of the rainbow. And by and large on specific cards that folks play, collect, and appreciate.

What are your favorite features of or aspects about the gallery you are displaying these artist proofs? Do any of those things affect how you selected this gallery location over others?

Nucleus has a long standing history of showing small works and things relevant to current pop culture zeitgeist. Their Power in Numbers and Salut Coaster shows were the inspiration for this exhibition; Mike Linnemann was visiting family in Portland (where they have a second gallery space) and saw all these tiny pieces hanging there and asked me ‘Why couldn’t you do that with APs?’ A couple of emails later to the flagship Nucleus in LA and we started work on the first show all the way back in 2022.

One of SchmandrewART's AP paintings.

For those who cannot personally be in California for the show, what’s the best way for them to take it in? Is there a digital exhibit as well?

Yes! The entire show will be viewable online, and patrons of Nucleus actually have the first opportunity to purchase APs. The Patreon pre-sale opens on Friday, January 30th, and the in-person gallery reception begins on January 31st from 5 p.m. - 8 p.m. PT. The show will be up and viewable until February 16th, 2026. More info can be found on the event page.

About Nucleus: Founded in 2004 by Ben Zhu, Nucleus “has strived to be a welcoming gathering place for the art loving community by offering quality art, art-related goods, and rarities.” They routinely exhibit the work of artists both local and abroad, and under the guidance of curator Nicki France place an emphasis on illustration, animation, and narrative art. They are located in the San Gabriel valley in Alhambra, CA.

Conclusion

A huge thank-you to Donny Caltrider for allowing us to pick his brain for this interview! And now, let's open the floor to you, dear readers. Do you own any artist proofs? If not, are there any APs you'd want to acquire in the future? And to our Californian readers, are you planning to attend the Magic in Miniature III show? Sound off in the comments below!