Pencil Pals Correspondence Club

 I made a mini zine with info about the club. It's at the printers now, so I should have copies soon. If you'd like to print some of your own to share with folks who might enjoy getting in on the mail art scene, shoot me an email and I can send you a PDF. http://overherezinefest.org/uncategorized/top-ten-things-you-need-to-make-a-zine/

  Now is the time to submit your mailing address to be included in the Pencil Pals Correspondence Club database. I’ve set up a dedicated email account for the club so that I can keep Pencil Pals stuff separate from my personal electronic correspondence. If you would like to participate, just send an email with the address where you’d like to receive your mail, and you’ll be included in the monthly  penpal pairings. Share with anyone you think might be interested- the more the merrier!   pencilpalsmail@gmail.com

Not sure what mail art is? Looking for more information about where mail art came from and how it evolved over the years? Want to get inspired by ways artists from the past used the mail as a tool and location for art making? Here are some articles to get you acquainted with the artistic genre of mail art and some of the biggest names in the field: 'Cover of the January‒February 1973 issue of  Art in America , which featured David Zack’s essay “An Authentik and Historikal Discourse on the Phenomenon of Mail Art.”' https://www.invaluable.com/blog/how-mail-art-grew-into-an-international-movement/ https://www.artnews.com/art-in-america/features/history-of-usps-mail-art-1234571946/ https://www.postalmuseum.org/blog/mclennan-mail-art/

Here's a little visual inspiration to whet your creative appetite while this project is under construction.   Maurice Sendak Riitta Ikonen Ray Johnson Naomi Bulger Melissa Fetalvero Margaret Rizzio Pam Foster "Liz" Lilly Ondulee KATEDINE "Jessica" "Janet" Edward Gorey artist unknown

 Welcome to the Pencil Pals Correspondence Club!  We are a group of folks sharing art in the form of mail, mail in the form of art. Each month I will be pairing up participants through a random lottery to exchange creative correspondence- a collage, a poem, a doodle on the back of an envelope, a ziplock bag filled with fortune cookie fortunes, a miniature oil painting of a bygone celebrity, a flower pressed in summer and sent in midwinter...  really anything, so long as it is allowed by the postal regulations. This blog will act as a hub for the groups activities, a place to post pictures of sent and/or received mail, works in progress, inspiration and ideas, as well as a location for sharing general information regarding the project, asking questions, making connections, etc.  I'll post further updates about the club, the shape it will take, how to participate, and other such details within the next few days. Stay tuned, and thanks for your interest!