What is Mail Art?
How can your school participate?
Mail art may be described as communicating with others by exchanging art instead of letters through the mail. You send your own original artworks to selected people, and they send theirs to you. The artwork is exchanged freely, not sold, and is not usually returned to the artist.
The art exchange group (“network”) can be limited to the students in one classroom, or open to students in other classrooms, in other schools, in other towns, even in other countries!
The artworks may be anything that can be sent through the mail, but for a student project, I would suggest some limitations, such as the size and materials. Having a theme is a good way to get the mail art project started. It can be as serious or silly as you like.
Mail art may be made using many methods and materials, including collage, drawing, painting, stamping, photography, origami, stitching ... almost anything goes.
The envelope is often embellished as well. Postcards don’t require an envelope, of course. Students may create their own stamps, called “artistamps”.
Another form of mail art is a collaborative project that travels from one person to another, with each person adding to the artwork, and finally returning it to the originator. Altered books and journals are popular for this type of project.
For an amazing example of a huge mail art project, see the following exhibition at Art Gallery of Swift Current from November 26 to December 30, 2011:
Original Artwork: See Something to Think About
Experience the full impact of the artist’s expression when you see the real thing.
Discovery Tours at the Gallery: Free
Experienced educators ensure that your students get the most from the art exhibition. Curriculum-based content, with focus on Visual Art, Language Arts, Social Studies. Interactive, age-appropriate activities engage participants in inquiry and investigation. Tours last about 45 minutes, and may be scheduled for mornings, afternoons and evenings.
Hands-On Workshop With Your Tour: Fee $1.00 / participant
Following the tour, you may choose to participate in a hands-on workshop at the Gallery, exploring art materials, methods and concepts relating to the art exhibition. This requires another 45 minutes.
Extension Program: Invite Us To Your School
We come to you: Qualified, experienced instructors will come to your school to conduct art workshops with your students. You may choose to observe, or participate and learn along with your class. Our workshops are designed to help you fulfill your visual art curriculum needs. If you wish, we can design a series of several workshops. Learn more here ...
The art workshops: Hands-on, practical, enlightening, fun projects and methods of art making. We supply all materials and equipment.
Phone 778-2736