Washington, DC. Microsculptor Willard Wigan, an artist of Jamaican heritage based in London, was in attendance at his first solo show at Parish Gallery in Washington, DC. Titled "Art in the Eye of a Needle," the show opened November 20, 2009, with much anticipation and excitement.

Fourteen microscopic sculptures of Wigan's works were on display. Most of them almost invisible to the naked eye, they are as small as a red blood cell. That is about 20 micrometers if you want to picture the size of his sculptures. Because of their smallness, the sculptures require the use of a specially-designed and innovative display case to view the works of art that sit "in the eye of a needle" or "on a pin head."

Each work is showcased in a custom-made display case individually created by award-winning designer, Jerry Elford. These state-of-the-art units incorporate a lighting and magnification mechanism that allow the viewer to see the sculptures. They are made of a round glass globe with a microscopic lens affixed on top. The two small bright lights directed at the sculpture allow the viewer to see the work. Metal legs with a base provide support for the cased art.

Visitors came from across the metropolitan DC-area to see this incredible show and to meet the artist. Attendees had nothing short of an extraordinary experience viewing Willard Wigan's art through the microscopes, and to meet the creator himself. No single word can describe Wigan's art, and none seem appropriate enough to define this potentially once-in-a-lifetime kind of art that one will see. But let's try incredible, fascinating, unimaginable, wow, amazing, unbelievable, or unconceivable. The list can be long, yet you are still left pondering how possible is this that an artist can create something so small.

"I only looked at two sculptures so far, and I think this is just awesome. I want to put my glasses on so I can see how small the needle actually is. But it's just amazing how small and how intricate the art is. I'm just blown away. I have never seen anything like that before," said Cheryl Chism, one of the show attendees.

"When I saw it, I said: 'O my God, how the heck did he do that?' The exhibition is excellent. What a great night tonight, just before Thanksgiving! It couldn't be any better," pointed Pat Zamora.

Some of the works on display at the Parish Gallery include The Obama Family, Henry The 8th, and Beauty and The Beast.

We found George Wishon admiring the art through the microscope. His reaction was: "I am really amazed how anyone can do such fine work on such a minuscule scale. It just blows my mind. The display is very efficient and quite a piece of artwork itself."

The show was highly attended and Wigan found himself truly at the center of attention. People waited patiently to catch a moment with Wigan, to express their excitement about his work, and to take a picture with the only man possibly alive today that can create art this small.

When asked to comment on the show, Wigan said: "A lot of people came, and it's very busy today. I am pleased with the turnout. People are fascinated and that is the actual effect that I wanted."

The exhibition will run through January 23, 2010. Parish Gallery is located at Canal Square at 1054 31st Street NW, off M Street in Georgetown.

For more information, contact Parish Gallery, at 202-944-2310.