Erica Richmond / Shannon Fitzgerald
This is the story of what happens when a global pandemic is captured through pieces of mail art from around the world. The Mail Art Stories Project, Mail Art in the Time of Covid-19 is a collection of decorated envelopes and postcards created between April 2020 - September 2021. In April 2020, Shannon (Bold Moves Studio, North Carolina USA) and Erica (Open Sky Stories, Ontario Canada) joined together and asked the world to share their stories of living within the Covid-19 pandemic. The catch? Each story was to be created as pieces of art with the suggested addition of three words or phrases and sent through the mail.Before long, Shannon and Erica’s mailboxes became vessels of heartache, celebration & much desired connection.In total there were 119 submissions from 55 individuals coming from 11 different countries. The youngest participant was 7 years old. Many had never created mail art before, while others were well-experienced, starting their journey through the art form as early as the 1970s. There are submissions from pen pals (one from Sri Lanka and one from Italy) who met during Covid-19 and chose to participate together. There are submissions from a young boy and his Nana who were missing each other terribly. There is a submission from a family who chose to complete this project as a team. Stories were shared by participants through a survey and are chronicled in the pages following the collection of mail art. Each submission demonstrates just how much art and stories can offer healing and connection, even during the most isolating of times.This is a beautiful book and is perfect for your coffee table, as well as a valuable documentation of a most unforgettable time in history.
