Don’t we all love to get a little something in the mail other than bills and advertising?
How many of you are familiar with “mail art”?
According to Wikipedia, Mail art is art which uses the postal system as a medium.
The term mail art can refer to an individual message, the medium through which it is sent, or an artistic genre. Mail art is also known as postal art and is sometimes referred to as Correspondence/Mail Art (CMA).
Mail artists typically exchange ephemera in the form of illustrated letters, zines, rubberstamped, decorated or illustrated envelopes, artist trading cards, postcards, artistamps, faux postage, mail-interviews, naked mail, friendship books, decos, and three-dimensional objects.
An amorphous international mail art network, involving thousands of participants in over fifty countries, evolved between the 1950s and the 1990s. It was influenced by other movements, including Dada and Fluxus.
One theme in mail art is that of commerce-free exchange; early mail art was, in part, a snub of gallery art, juried shows, and exclusivity in art. A saying in the mail art movement is “senders receive”, meaning that one must not expect mail art to be sent to oneself unless one is also actively participating in the movement.
Here’s your excuse to get involved, send a yummy treat to California, and get a show in the process:
Call for Submissions:
International Mail Art Exhibition:
In Honor and Memory of Judith A. Hoffberg
Judith A. Hoffberg (1934-2009) was an avid and active promoter of mail art and artists’ books.
Judith was editor and publisher of Umbrella, a newsletter devoted to all manner of art publishing and art exhibitions.
In addition to Judith’s work as a librarian, archivist, lecturer and curator, she gave unstintingly of her time and energy to promote artists through her encouragement and connections in the art world.
To participate in the exhibition, mail art submissions must be received by June 4, 2010 by postal mail or email. All art sent through the mail needs to be sent unwrapped.
All mail art included in the exhibition will be donated to the Judith A. Hoffberg Archive at the Library of the University of California, Santa Barbara, with the permission of the artist.
The exhibition will be held in the Armory’s Caldwell Gallery from June 27 – August 22, 2010.
Opening reception is Saturday, June 26, 2010, from 7-9 PM.
For questions, contact exhibition curator Jay Belloli at jbelloli@armoryarts.org or 626-792-5101 ext 117.
Please send submissions to:
Jay Belloli, Director of Gallery Programs
Armory Center for the Arts
145 N. Raymond Avenue
Pasadena, CA 91103
jbelloli@armoryarts.org
ArtAndArtDeadlines.com is a free service–forever and always. But clicking on a sponsor’s ad can help you find additional Art Deadlines and help this service remain free. I’ve filtered the ads so they are mostly about art. I hope you find something intriguing! Thanks for your support!