By I’m attending (online, of course) a “Call to Art” Un-conference organized by Cindy Ingram for art educators. I hopped onto Cindy’s email list right after she spoke to the Meadows Museum’s docents during a training session. She made a call for videos contributors to the Un-Conference, and people responded. Not all of the subject matter is applicable to a docent, but some of it is, and some of it appeals to me as a creative person.
Beth Allums sent “It’s Just Mail Art.” She is using Mail Art to engage her students during this time when she is separated from them, and when they are all separated from the supplies available in the classroom. I have to say that it got my desire to create something kicked into gear. These are the introductory words:
Mail art is a truly international activity and a fun way to connect with people in every corner of the globe. Learn to use art to make connections in this time when we need it most. In this workshop, you will learn the history of mail art, learn to create decorated and illustrated envelopes, learn how to find penpals, make a mail art kit, and much more! This workshop is improvisational and free-spirited with a more non-linear approach. Be inspired by history, examples, and materials such as file folders, fabric, recyclables, paint, photos, envelopes, catalogs, patterned paper, and cardboard. You will never look at mail the same way and you may never send another naked envelope again!
Even if you don’t actually do this, have fun thinking about it!
Open Arts Spring 2023 
Never a better time to get back to old fashioned mail, I say 😉
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Borkali, I was thinking of you throughout the course of this video!
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❤
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I wish I could send pictures of the mail art I receive regularly from my friend who is a retired theater costume designer. The envelopes are wild and wonderful. Maybe I can get some help from a technologically skilled friend once the virus ends. I didn’t know it was actually an international activity. I did love the series of books about Giffin and Sabine which are centered on art postcards they design and send each other. I think I wrote a post on one of the books a long while back.
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I’d love to see your treasures, Barbara. (Yes, there has to be a technologically better way to share pictures here than the multi-step process I’ve gone through!)
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What a wonderful idea! I love writing letters, but the problem with me is that I always forget/neglect to post them. So, I have the “having fun just thinking about it” part totally covered LOL.
As for an easier way to upload the photos, if you have a smartphone, you could try installing the wordpress.com app. it is not too hard to use if you play with it a bit.
Also, I found out while working on a client’s website that wordpress block editor allows to copy and paste photos directly into the place where you are making a post. It does not seem to work on this comment thread so I will try in the next post I make about a YA book I finished
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Thanks for the tech tip!
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