Appalachian Creative Front - Workshop & Postal Union Benefit

[James Kellis]

Hi folks,

I'm organizing an event to support & protect the post office and postal workers.
A mail art show & workshop is a perfect vehicle, I believe. Shooting for this May or June.

We are based in Asheville, near the Black Mountain College Museum. As y'all may know, Ray Johnson was a notable student at BMC, and developed his correspondence style in tandem with the experimental avant-garde FLUXUS movement, largely born out of the fertile creative environment in Appalachia. 

This event aims to tie together the participation & exhibition of mail art, Ray Johnson's legacy and connection to BMC, and the fight for a thriving postal service.  

I'm looking for mail artists in the region who are interested, and might want to show off a collection, do a live demo, or advise me on ideas and resources. In early April we are going to have a meeting on zoom and in person, and I hope to tie it in with an art & crafting party/donation pool for magazines and supplies.

Also seeking: anyone! If anybody has any resources, connections, recommendations, or wants to get involved remote, by all means!

Inbox me if this interests you. And if you want to exchange correspondence, and possibly exhibit your work in the show, we can exchange snail mail addresses. 

This is a chance to get creative and support a cause we can all rally behind. The idea of Appalachian Creative Front is to find creative solutions and build a community of resilience. 

Here's an image of the mailer explainer and the Substack newsletter.

Thanks much love from Western NC <3