Mail Art

Checking the mail is one of my favorite evening rituals, and nothing brightens up the inside of a dark mailbox quite like a decorated envelope.  I've been participating in calligraphy exchanges for about a year now and have received beautiful envelopes from North America, Europe and Australia.  If you dig mail art as much as me, here are two international projects to consider:

[image via Atelier Calligraphie]

I found out about this project through A Place to Flourish (thanks Jane!).  This exhibition is not juried and is open to artists and calligraphers of all levels of experience.  There will be free exhibits in France, Belgium, Hungary and the Ukraine, all featuring mail art from (you guessed it) across the world.  Click here for information and details in English.  The mailing deadline is April 1, 2011.

[image via the Washington Calligrapher's Guild]

The Washington Calligrapher's Guild sponsors the Graceful Envelope contest each year, based around an open-ended theme.  This year's theme is "Time Flies", which leaves a lot of room for your creative interpretation.  All entries must be postmarked by April 30, 2011.  There are no prizes, but the winning entries will be displayed online and at the headquarters of the National Association for Letter Carriers.  For inspiration, I recommend that you check out the Graceful Envelope archives for some really incredible pieces of mail.

Have you created any mail art lately?  Share a link to your work in the comment section!