My first IUOMA Blog post, Sept 29,2012 "FeMail News"

[karen Arp-Sandel]

The response to my mail art exhibit at Gallery51, North Adams in MA, which opened Thursday evening at Down Street Art this week, was remarkable. Viewers were curiously examining my work "up close and personal". It seemed they were reading my collage /mixed media visual iconography as if deciphering poetry. They examined post marks  and any verbal messages they could read in my handwriting or through my choice of collage words. I received so much feedback and so many questions about this practice of mailing off my artwork through the USPS to my collaborator, (Suzi in this case) who generously loaned out the 30 post cards from her personal collection, representing my side of our 5 year correspondence from our FeMail archive. FeMail is mail art by females.

Mail art is such a private practice in one way. Once I release the mailed art into the world, generally I never see it again.Of course countless people will see it and handle it along its postal route to the destination- and yet I will never know them or see their reactions to it. Being seen as a mail artist and receiving feed back from viewers was very enlightening. 

This date marks the moment  for me of reaching out through IUOMA, to expand my horizons in the world of mail art. I can't wait to hear from all of you.I anticipate the sending and receiving of mail beyond familiar borders & in new collaborative efforts.

Stay posted for news from me about all things postal and check us out at www.femailart.com and keep current if you like on FB at Fe-Mail art community.

To view all the other artwork that influences my constant flow of mail art check out: www.karenarpsandel.com

See you here for my next blog post!