Miniatures artist James Opher
James Opher loves breathing new life into old treasures related to the world of miniatures, and his creativity is on full display at his newly opened My Little Town - Dollhouse & Miniatures Rehab Showplace in Mechanicsville.
Opher’s interest in miniatures dates back to his childhood, when he started working with model cars. “I started saving money for die-cast models of cars,” he says. “I wanted a place to garage the cars, so I made one out of cardboard boxes and Popsicle sticks, things that I had at home.”
As a kid he would make small models of homes and garages. That skill turned into making larger models of homes and garages and eventually miniature dollhouses.
Opher, an actor who retired as the cultural arts assistant manager for the city of Richmond’s parks and recreation department, loves working with discarded or abandoned art pieces, refurbishing them to their original luster or making them “better than the original, give them a chance to shine again,” he says, noting that his miniature collection includes Monticello and the Carillon bell tower in Byrd Park. “Many of the miniatures have been through three generations of a family.”
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A 1930s-style movie palace James Opher designed and handcrafted with found materials
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A Christmas vignette Opher created from a vintage dollhouse shell
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This stately entrance features a cherub-pedestal table Opher made from found materials.
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Opher made this barber chair and other miniature furnishings in a vignette that features both a barbershop and a beauty salon.
Twenty percent of the items in the Showplace are originals from Opher, and the remainder are refurbished miniatures. “Some of the things I’ve refurbished were salesman samples,” he says. “They used to make a scale model of a house so buyers could see what their house would look like."
Miniatures are divided into sections: Mansion Way, Old Town and Doll House Row. Each is accompanied by information on the piece.
Houses are made according to scale — an inch, a half-inch or a quarter-inch to every foot of an actual house. None of the houses on display are for sale, but Opher would eventually like to sell some of his items, as well as hold workshops and feature a consignment area. Consultations are available for those interested in hiring Opher to rehab their old miniatures or dollhouses.
Currently, people can come in and learn about scale modeling and also purchase “things related to miniature houses, like furniture, building supplies and magazines,” he says, adding that the Showplace is open Fridays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Opher loves seeing a project from start to finish. He also takes pride in hearing someone looking at one of his models reminisce or comment on his work.
“It’s self-gratifying seeing everyone enjoy it,” he says. “This is an art. A lot of people like it, but they don’t know they like it until they see it.”
