In 1998 Jimmy Kuehnle and I started the Tom Thumb Art Gallery on our college campus at Truman State University in Kirksville, Missouri. The Tom Thumb Gallery is a student-run independent venue where all submissions are accepted. Participants are encouraged to experiment with non-traditional media.

What started out as a small exhibition with a few friends slowly grew into a no holds barred community art extravaganza. Eventually taking on a life of its own, it evolved into something bigger than the individuals that started it and became an annual art event for the university recognized on tourist pamphlets (now in its 11th year).