Recently installed tiny doors near storefronts in McKinney are turning the area’s already charming historic downtown square into a whimsical world, attracting visitors to admire the creations of local artists.
More than 50 tiny doors now embellish the streets of downtown McKinney as a part of the town’s permanent art project to beautify the city and highlight the work of local artists. A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the project, featuring tiny scissors, was held Aug. 25 to welcome these permanent doors to the town.
No bigger than one foot in length, these doors add a level of intrigue to the town and foster a spirit of community, said Andrew Jones, McKinney’s cultural district director.
Jones, who was appointed director in November 2022, said he was inspired to make this project happen after seeing fairy doors pop up in the city more than 10 years ago. He now sees McKinney residents flock to the tiny doors, using a map uploaded on the city’s tourism website.
“It’s amazing to see kids and families coming around, trying to find them all,” Jones said. “Some are really well hidden. Others are pretty obvious.”
In order to recruit artists, Jones worked closely with North Texas artist and native Beth Fields, who helped make his vision possible.
Fields, who specializes in pottery and mixed media art, said she has incorporated doors and windows into her art for a while now, making her a natural fit as the artist coordinator for this project.
“I’ve come to be known as the door lady of McKinney because of this strong interest in doors and creating doors in my art,” she said.
At the end of the project, around 25 artists, who all had ties to North Texas, constructed 53 tiny doors. Some of the doors coordinate with the business they’re affiliated with, while others stand on their own. Additionally, some of the doors have knobs that open and close.
Fields said she thinks people are drawn to the concept of doors for the same reason she includes them in her creations: they can lead you somewhere else. People often wonder what could be behind these doors, she said.
“I think art is always going to be something that helps us connect to our stories and our imaginations,” she said. “I think the city is very forward thinking to make space for it so centrally in our square.”
She added the doors have already become a “part of the fabric of the community,” with people of all ages intrigued by and interacting with the mini doors.
Moreover, these doors add to downtown McKinney’s artistic landscape. Over the past several years, the city has installed a variety of art projects for the public, including a silo mural and butterfly sculptures.
Jones said the mini doors are another way to reflect the community and serve as a form of interactive art — a growing trend in the art world recently. Several cities across the country, including Ann Arbor, Mich. and Atlanta, also have tiny-door exhibits.
“There’s something special about public art, that it’s so accessible, that everybody can enjoy it and engage with it,” he said. “You don’t have to go to a stuffy museum or anything like that, and it’s changing. There’s always something new, there’s new elements that we add.”
A second phase of the tiny doors project is expected to roll out by the end of the year, with 20 new doors already in the works.
“We see this as a fairly permanent art installation,” he said. “We know some of the doors are not going to last forever, but we hope to update them and replace them over time.”
