Postally Yours, or, You've Got Mail!

The Book Arts & Special Collections Center is pleased to present a mail art program with an almost universal appeal. For anyone interested in mail art --making postcards, decorated envelopes and zines; sending found art through the mail; finding your own unique handwritten voice; connecting with pen pals; making artist stamps; tracking down rubber stamps, old and new; hanging out at a favorite local Post Office --we have the program for you! The San Francisco Correspondence Co-op is celebrating their one-year anniversary at the San Francisco Public Library, and you’re invited.

Here's the program line-up for the SF Correspondence Co-op birthday party.

Sunday, May 27, 1-4pm, in the Latino-Hispanic Community Meeting Room, Lower Level, Main Library.

2pm –> postal bingo: everybody loves bingo — and the best kind of bingo is postal themed! Designer Maureen Forys of Happenstance Type-O-Rama has created a keepsake bingo board for players; the first three folks to call out “bingo!” will receive fabulous prizes. Calling will start at 2pm sharp – don’t delay!

3pm –> postal white elephant swap: if interested in participating, please bring a wrapped postal/letter writing related gift that you are up-cycling – no need to purchase anything new! Examples include: unused stationery, blank journals, ephemera scraps, a packet of interesting envelopes, etc.

When you arrive at the party, please check in at the white elephant table in order to receive a “swap number”. The swap will take place on the dot at 3pm!

Throughout the event –> group project/exquisite corpse: bring your favorite art making tools and join our group project! Attendees are welcome to create/draw/stamp at the designated “Creation Station”; paper will be on hand for you to “make” to your heart’s content! Examples of items to bring for art making: pens, rubber stamps, stickers, colored pencils. The Co-op will provide a small selection of tools for you to use.

Once you’ve finished putting together your masterpiece, add your name to the mailing list. At a later date, you’ll receive part of the exquisite corpse!

Join the fun! All programs at the Library are free and open to the public.

"The San Francisco Correspondence Co-op was founded by Red Letter Day/Jennie Hinchcliff in May 2011.  The Co-op's goal is to bring like-minded mail artists and letter writers together on a monthly basis. The Co-op strongly believes that mail art is for everyone, no matter what their age or skill set. Participants in Correspondence Co-op are encouraged to share mail art stories, techniques, and know-how, thereby contributing to the key ideals which keep the Eternal Network going and growing."--Mission Statement, San Francisco Correspondence Co-op

The Co-op has been featured in the blog Felt & Wire and the Bold Italic blog and print magazine (no. 2).

Here at the San Francisco Public Library you can find an array of inspirational and craft oriented books, zines, periodicals, and visual materials to feed your creative needs. Join the ranks of the mail art movement and learn more about the SF Correspondence Co-op on Sunday, May 27, at the Main Library, Civic Center.

A MAIL ART READING LIST TO GET YOU GOING
Correspondence: An Exhibition of the Letters of Ray Johnson (1976)

Creative Correspondence by Michael and Judy Jacobs (2003)

The Englishman Who Posted Himself and Other Curious Objects by John Tingey (2010)

Good Mail Day by Jennie Hinchcliff and Carolee Gilligan Wheeler (2009); and the e-book

How to Draw a Bunny [videorecording] (2004)

Mail Art: An Annotated Bibliography by John Held, Jr. (1997)

Red Letter Day [zine]

Rubber Soul: Rubber Stamps and Correspondence Art by Sandra Mizumoto Posey (1996)

Spark: Visual Arts (KQED, 2004), featuring mail art collector, John Held, Jr.

                                                   Co-op member shares some of the mail art she received.
                                                                  All images courtesy San Francisco Correspondence Co-op.