This spring, art lovers and nature enthusiasts are invited to experience a powerful and thought-provoking exhibition at the Garrett Museum of Art. Beginning Friday, March 6, 2026, the museum will showcase Kleinfunde, an extraordinary photographic series by professional commercial photographer Mitch Wiebell of Day Heights, Ohio.
The exhibition opens with a FREE public reception from 5:00PM – 8:00PM, welcoming guests of all ages to step into a world rarely seen — and never shared online.
The Story Behind Kleinfunde
The roots of Kleinfunde stretch back more than three decades.
In 1992 and 1993, Wiebell was hired to photograph artifacts at an archaeological excavation in Troy, Turkey — the legendary setting of The Iliad and The Odyssey, and the myth of the Trojan Horse. That experience left a lasting impression.
For over 30 years, Wiebell built a successful commercial photography career capturing the “artifacts” corporations sell — products for packaging, catalogs, direct marketing, and global brands such as:
- Boone County Distilleries
- Grandin Road
- Scott’s Miracle-Gro
- Hugo Boss
- Puma
- Kroger
- Tommy Hilfiger
But in 2020, on a cold winter day during a conversation with a colleague struggling creatively, inspiration struck.
Wiebell suggested, “Go outside, turn over a log and photograph what you find.”
She didn’t.
He did.
That simple act sparked what would become Kleinfunde — a perpetual photographic catalog of small, discovered natural subjects found on his horse farm, Skynotch Acres, near Cincinnati, Ohio.
“Kleinfunde” is the German term for “small archaeological finds.”
A Gallery-Only Experience — By Design
Unlike most contemporary photography series, Kleinfunde does not exist on social media.
It does not live on a website.
Outside of limited promotional images and the physical exhibition itself, these works are intentionally absent from the digital world.
Why?
Because to display them online would contradict the very purpose of the series — to encourage viewers to step away from their screens and reconnect with the fragile beauty of the natural world.
The photographs were created in Wiebell’s home studio, Skynotch Studios, and in the surrounding woods where every subject was discovered. Each image reveals the intricate design, quiet dignity, and unexpected peace found in small creatures navigating life — and sometimes death — just as we do.
This is not just an exhibit.
It is an invitation to slow down.
About Mitch Wiebell
A graduate of the Art Academy of Cincinnati, Wiebell earned his Bachelor’s degree in Visual Communication in 1991, studying Photography with additional focus in Fine Art and Graphic Design.
His decades-long commercial career refined his eye for detail, composition, and storytelling — skills now channeled into this deeply personal body of work conceived at Skynotch Acres.
Exhibition Details
Opening Reception:
📅 Friday, March 6, 2026
⏰ 5:00PM – 8:00PM
🎟 FREE Admission
👨👩👧👦 Open to the public — All ages welcome
Exhibit Duration:
March 6, 2026 – May 3, 2026
Why You Should Attend
In a world saturated with digital imagery, Kleinfunde offers something rare:
An experience you cannot scroll past.
Visitors will enter another world — one that gently reminds us that beauty, design, and peace exist everywhere, even in the smallest corners of life.
