Mail Art and the Post Office

[Peter Dowker]

Does anyone have any stories, anecdotes, facts or anything at all on the subject of how the post office(s) and the post men and women view (or don't view) mailart. Anyone have any interesting or funny stories on this topic? I'd enjoy hearing them.

[Kerry Jeffrey]

Dear Mail Art friends:  As you may have noticed in the US media outlets, the US Postal Service is "studying" 3600 post offices in the most rural parts of the country for possible closure.  The study is a formality.  There are also several hundred already in the pipeline not included in that number.  In a few months they will be gone.  I would encourage you to visit these small town gems while they exist or get a postmark from one.  I'm sending a postcard for franking to Veribest, TX 76886.  Towns like Home, Kansas (66438), Timber, Oregon (97144) and Daisy, Georgia (30423).  USPS.COM has the list in it's public affairs section.

[Xtina Solano]

i've had wonderful interactions with the post office workers and mail carriers in general most of the time, they enjoy seeing the decorated envelopes and are often more worried about 'ruining' the piece more than i .
this year after my mail carrier stopped me while walking my dogs and asked about mail art, i made her a nice piece and left it with my outgoing bundle. she was so happy and she left me a thank you note on my door. i think mail art is a nice artistic 'shake up' for the everyday blues.
cheers from california