Mail Art News #56: Weekly Review, 9/20/2023

outgoing rubber stamp collage, T. Brown, 9-2023

Atlas comes to mind, but you will notice he's not carrying the actual Earth. It's a picture of the Earth on a big TV.  The week sped by so quickly that I didn't have time to check the social media sites or the internet-at-large very much, though I do have something pigeon-related to share that I think you will enjoy, thanks to Mail Art News media specialist Ariel Greenwood. Would owning a flock of mail art messenger pigeons cost less than postage?  One wonders. 

source: laughingsquid

You may recall that Coco Muchmore has been educating students and other teachers about mail art. See Mail Art News #14 for more info. Well, yesterday a post card arrived from a student in one of the mail art workshops. 

"Thank you so much for all the goodies! I'm the student who received all your art. I would've sent you goodies in return but I am currently in a classroom, rendered goodie-less. But your gift made me so joyous!! Thank you!!"

Also incoming: 

incoming from Paul Keene

incoming from Paul Keene

incoming from Paul Keene

incoming from Paul Keene

incoming from Paul Keene

incoming from Paul Keene

Mail Art Museum anyone? We'll have to see what Diana Hale is up to with her project. She did say there was a possibility that she would be able to open a small museum dedicated to mail art in Virginia at some point in the not too distant future. Here I've turned Paul K.'s rubber stamped image into concept art for a huge museum with an awkward entrance. 

The international nature of mail art means that you may, from time to time, require the use of a translation website. I pretty much always use Google Translate. Even if some people say it's not the best, I can still get the general idea of what the non-English speaking world is saying. I received an invite to a Facebook group called OIMA. Thankfully this time, the person (Maya Lopez Muro) has provided an English translation already, so I'll copy and paste that here: 

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OIMA-International Organization of Mail Artists

INTERNATIONAL PROJECT FOR A REDUCED RATE FOR POSTAL ART

The International Organization of Mail Artists symbolically created on September 13, 2023 by Maya López Muro of the Il Graffiacielo Art Studio/Italy, César Reglero Campos of Taller del Sol/Spain and Ruggero Maggi/Amazon Archive-Italy, calls the artists of the mail art from all over the world to participate in the International Call for Mail Art Project “FOR A REDUCED RATE FOR POSTAL ART”.

This initiative was born directly by proposing this notice under the motto: FOR A REDUCED RATE FOR POSTAL ART.

Our goal is to reach the ears of post offices and international shipping services in general with our appeal, since high shipping costs are substantially influencing our distance communication activity, which is why we urge maximum dissemination and participation of all artists to make our campaign efficient.

We ask all of you to participate in this announcement and anyone who wishes to participate, to expressly communicate to us your desire to become an OIMA member, by completing the completely free membership form attached to the announcement and signing the request by sending the documentation both by post and in electronic format to the addresses indicated. The petition with the signatures of all participants will be presented to the competent authorities of POSTE ITALIANE.

-TOPIC: FOR A REDUCED RATE FOR POSTAL ART

-DIMENSIONS: POSTCARD exclusively 11x15 cm.

-The works will be received until December 1st 2023-

-Please attach the published stamp with the logo identifying OIMA which you will find as an attachment to the envelope or postcard.

-Works that do not respond to the theme of our announcement will not be accepted.

-Please write the sender in legible handwriting:

Name and surname - Full address and email that allow us to identify and locate each of the participants.

-We ask you to fill out the OIMA participation form and send it via email together with the JPG file of the work presented as soon as possible or send it via simple post together with the work.

Send by email:

Work JPG archive in high definition indicating the Author's name.

To: mayalopezmuro2022@libero.it

The exhibition with the works received by post is scheduled for January 6, 2024 at the il Graffiacielo/Italia art studio.

-SEND BY SIMPLE MAIL TO:

MAYA LOPEZ MURO

OIMA-Il Grafficielo-

VIA PAPA GIOVANNI XXIII. N°26-

CAP.52027 – SAN GIOVANNI VNO.

AREZZO - ITALY

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

That'd be a dream come true to have a reduced postal rate for mail artists. There's a small chance that maybe Maya and friends could make it happen with enough momentum. I won't say impossible just yet! The thought of the various bureaucratic behemoths in all countries of the world agreeing to such a thing seems unlikely though.  For now, I understand...if I want to continue being a mail artist, then I will have to pay the standard postal rates. I've pretty much stopped sending single postcards. Instead I send out fully stuffed envelopes. 

Two weeks ago, I started mailing out prints of archival creations from the last twenty years. Thank you Maya and Tomoe for documenting!

T. Brown works, documentation by Maya Lopez Muro

T. Brown works, documented by Tomoe Nakamura

See here. Just one more piece of outgoing mail, a print of a woven paper chessboard with the word "HERE" stamped on each square with the PRIXEL Press. 

outgoing, T. Brown, 9-2023, 3.5 x 3.5 inches
(8.89 cm x 8.89 cm)

And what's this? Very impressive artistamps painted and drawn directly onto a cardboard post card. 

May your mailboxes be full of art. See you next time. Feel free to contact me. 

from Dot McQuade, 2016