The Tiny Minotaur is more than just a venue; it’s a gateway to a meticulously crafted fantasy realm.
This artist-run, DIY private social club offers a unique blend of immersive art installation, music, and theater. With over 5,000 square feet of movie set-quality scenery, The Tiny Minotaur transports visitors to a world filled with paladins, orcs and adventurers, set to the sounds of bards and Texas dungeon synth performers.
Darien Wells and other patrons of the Tiny Minotaur browse vendors selling jewelry, art, handcrafted blades and tarot card readings on July 20, 2024, in Austin.
“The Tiny Minotaur is an immersive fantasy installation/art gallery/performance venue space,” creator Dana Bauerle-McKnight explains. Programming varies night to night but runs the gamut from fantasy theater to live music and karaoke, with the occasional guided meditation or drag shows. Plus, plenty of evenings are devoted to role play gaming (including the Minotaur’s own custom PvP card combat game).
The attention to detail is evident. “All of the sets on site are extremely high fantasy,” Bauerle-McKnight says. “We use real wood, real stain, wrought iron, bone, thatch. We try to keep as many of our items on site as hyper-tangible and realistic as possible.”
That extends to the lore surrounding the Minotaur as well, detailed in a 160-page backstory. In it, the Minotaur operates in a space called The Rift between the world of Karth and other planes of existence, including Earth. Bauerle-McKnight’s character – reformed orc mercenary Oakda Malkuth – opened the tavern as an interdimensional waystation in The Rift after inadvertently killing the king of Karth. (Accidents happen!)
Fantasy has offered a similar respite for Bauerle-McKnight on Earth as well.
“Fantasy was the escape for me,” she says of growing up under trying circumstances in Buffalo, New York. “But it also gave me options that took me out of my current circumstance.”
Dana Yanoshak makes drinks on July 20, 2024, at the Tiny Minotaur in Austin.
“The Tiny Minotaur and specifically immersive spaces are extremely important,” she says. “I think right now, when we’re in such a time of emotional crisis across the board, providing space like that is a necessity.” And ensuring the space is welcoming to all fantasy lovers is equally important as well; a ban on racist, misogynistic, transphobic or homophobic behavior is the club’s one guiding rule.
For more on The Tiny Minotaur, its upcoming Unseelie Gala, a visit from Oakda and more, listen to the audio above.
