Artist and filmmaker Jessica Oreck is the creative force behind the Office of Collecting & Design, a unique museum on wheels that houses a vast array of minuscule objects. From glass eggs to toy shoes to colorful beads and dominoes, Oreck’s collection is a fascinating display of her passion for collecting. The museum recently embarked on a tour of the West Coast in a 42-foot trailer, retrofitted to serve as a mobile museum complete with flat files, card catalogs, and jars filled with tiny treasures.
The trailer renovations took about eight months and were made possible through a successful Kickstarter campaign. As the museum made its way through cities like San Diego and Los Angeles, it also served as a hub for public workshops, lectures, and trinket swaps, engaging the local community in the wonder of Oreck’s collections. The upcoming tour will offer similar opportunities for visitors to explore the collections and participate in programming around the project.
For those unable to visit the museum in person, Oreck has created a series of clubs, swaps, and exchanges that connect a global community of curious minds and kindred collectors through small, meaningful mail exchanges. The Decoder Club, with its secret messages and strange objects, and the Treasure Club, which sends members a small item each month, are just a few examples of the ways in which Oreck is fostering connections and spreading wonder.
Looking ahead, Oreck is finalizing plans for fall and beyond, with tours scheduled through 2027. Updates about upcoming stops can be found on the Office of Collecting & Design’s Instagram page. The museum’s unique blend of creativity, community engagement, and a love for collecting make it a must-visit for anyone with a curious mind and a passion for the tiny treasures that make life so interesting.
