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Mail Art is very intriguing stuff. I love the idea of sending pieces of art through the mail. I love the idea of all these beautiful postcards and envelopes and things zooming around, forming a worldwide art-show-in-motion. And, let’s face it, I love anything that allows people to get really cool things in the mail.
Thought I’d share some mail-arty goodness this morning:
Niku, of The Ephemeral Mailbox Museum, Scrappy zine, Ms. Films, and about a hundred other projects, is curating a mail art exhibit, called “Incoming Mail,” at the Morgan Lane Gallery in Austin, TX. You can be a part of this show by simply making a postcard and mailing it in. Your postcard just needs to be 4″ x 6″ or smaller, and vertically-oriented. Other than that, the sky’s the limit. Send your small masterpiece to: the Ephemeral Mailbox Museum, c/o Morgan Lane Gallery, 1603 Morgan Lane, Austin, TX 78704, usa. But hurry! Entries must be in by October 2nd! (If you participate, and you email Niku your address, she’ll send you a copy of the full-color show zine.)
Portland’s own Central Library (my new favorite place) is also hosting a mail art show. You can make a postcard around the theme of “Library” and mail it in. The deadline is November 30. You can get more details on this show, and see a continual parade of awesome mail art, at the blog of Leslie Waygren, a Portland librarian and mail artist who’s curating this show.
Update: (And you should totally go see what Heather is sending in.)
While we’re at it, here are some other interesting links:
MailArt.org – a place to find more calls for mail art entries, and syndicated posts from lots of other mail art blogs.
Mick Boyle’s Mail Art Postcard Exhibition blog.
Open Directory’s insane compendium of mail art links.
Brilliant info, thanks. Have you see my current year long mail art piece, The Diary Project? Every day in 2007 I am drawing on an envelope, placing something secret inside and posting it to myself before my midnight deadline. When these envelopes return to me they are scanned and blogged and then kept unopened until they can be exhibited as a whole artwork. Members of the public will then be able to open the letters and investigate the contents. The project blog is at http://diary-project.blogspot.com/ or you can see the drawings altogether at http://www.flickr.com/photos/fragiletender/sets/72157594498619372/
Brilliant info, thanks. Have you see my current year long mail art piece, The Diary Project? Every day in 2007 I am drawing on an envelope, placing something secret inside and posting it to myself before my midnight deadline. When these envelopes return to me they are scanned and blogged and then kept unopened until they can be exhibited as a whole artwork. Members of the public will then be able to open the letters and investigate the contents. The project blog is at http://diary-project.blogspot.com/ or you can see the drawings altogether at http://www.flickr.com/photos/fragiletender/sets/72157594498619372/
Diane,
I can’t find any mention of the Mail Art project at the Multnomah County Library on the Library Website, and on Leslie’s website it says something about “Documentation to be verified”. Is it safe to send the Central Library Art Mail? Do they know about the upcoming show? I am worried if I send a postcard it will be misplaced or discarded by someone who doesn’t know about the show. I’ve never entered anything like this before, and am confused. Thanks in advance for any help you can give.
Diane,
I can’t find any mention of the Mail Art project at the Multnomah County Library on the Library Website, and on Leslie’s website it says something about “Documentation to be verified”. Is it safe to send the Central Library Art Mail? Do they know about the upcoming show? I am worried if I send a postcard it will be misplaced or discarded by someone who doesn’t know about the show. I’ve never entered anything like this before, and am confused. Thanks in advance for any help you can give.
It’s an excellent question, h, and I was confused about this, too. First, as to addressing your postcard. If you address it like this: Popular Library Mail Art, Multnomah County Central Library, 801 SW 10th Ave, Portland, OR 97204 USA, the Library staff will set it aside for the show. They are watching out for entries.
The “documentation” part refers to a kind of show catalog, in which the artists are identified. If you look at a bunch of mail art postcards, you can see that the maker usually includes his or her name (or internet name) and an email address somewhere on the card – often the side where the address goes. (And of course, you may want to put your return address on the postcard – although I’d recommend using a PO Box rather than your home address.)
Hope that helps. And I’m so glad you’re planning to enter!
It’s an excellent question, h, and I was confused about this, too. First, as to addressing your postcard. If you address it like this: Popular Library Mail Art, Multnomah County Central Library, 801 SW 10th Ave, Portland, OR 97204 USA, the Library staff will set it aside for the show. They are watching out for entries.
The “documentation” part refers to a kind of show catalog, in which the artists are identified. If you look at a bunch of mail art postcards, you can see that the maker usually includes his or her name (or internet name) and an email address somewhere on the card – often the side where the address goes. (And of course, you may want to put your return address on the postcard – although I’d recommend using a PO Box rather than your home address.)
Hope that helps. And I’m so glad you’re planning to enter!