Mail Art Stories Project
Mail Art in the Time of Covid-19
This is the story of what happens when a global pandemic is captured through pieces of mail art from around the world.
Our Story
From April 2020 to August 2021, Shannon from Bold Moves Studio and I curated 119 pieces of mail art from 52 individuals spanning 11 countries around the globe. Each piece is a deeply personal reflection on living through the global pandemic—capturing experiences, emotions, and stories that connect us all during an unprecedented time.
These poignant pieces of art and words are now compiled in My Mail Art Stories, a unique book showcasing this global collaboration. But our project doesn’t stop there.
We’re thrilled to announce that this collection has transformed into an art exhibition, where each piece of mail is suspended in the air for visitors to explore. Guests are invited to read through the letters—both front and back—and immerse themselves in the shared experiences of people from different corners of the world.
Want to follow along with our journey? Stay connected by following us on Instagram or signing up for our email list.
A heartfelt thank-you to every participant who submitted their story to this project. Your courage and creativity continue to inspire.
The Book
The Mail Art Stories Project is a collection of 119 pieces of mail art from around the world, offering personal reflections on the shared experience of living through the global pandemic.
The Exhibition
The Mail Art Stories Project exhibition showcases the full collection of mail art, allowing visitors to explore intimate stories from the pandemic while engaging with global perspectives on resilience, connection, and loss.
The Mail Art Stories Project Book
The Mail Art Stories Project is a powerful collection that captures the global pandemic through decorated envelopes and postcards sent from around the world between April 2020 and September 2021. This unique project, co-created by Shannon (Bold Moves Studio, North Carolina, USA) and Erica (Open Sky Stories, Ontario, Canada), invited people to share their pandemic experiences through art—each piece sent via mail and incorporating three suggested words or phrases.
As mailboxes filled, they became vessels of heartache, hope, celebration, and much-needed connection. In total, 119 submissions arrived from 55 participants across 11 different countries, each one telling a deeply personal story of life during the pandemic.
In addition to the collection of mail art, this book chronicles the stories shared by participants through a survey, offering a window into their experiences. Each submission demonstrates how art and storytelling can foster healing and connection, even in the most isolating of times.
This beautiful and meaningful book is perfect for your coffee table and serves as a lasting documentation of a truly unforgettable time in history.
ON SALE NOW!
You can now purchase this beautiful 163 colourful page book from any bookstore.
ISBN-10: 0578395339
ISBN-13: 978-0578395333
The Mail Art Stories Project Exhibition
The Mail Art Stories Project exhibition is an immersive, international experience that brings personal reflections on the global pandemic to life. After successful stops at Watson & Lou in Peterborough, Ontario, and Thomas Steven’s Gallery in Hillsborough, North Carolina, we are excited to take this powerful exhibit to more cities around the world.
The exhibition features all 119 pieces of mail art, each suspended in the space for visitors to read both front and back, offering an intimate glimpse into the lives and emotions of 52 participants from 11 different countries. Posters throughout the gallery further highlight participant responses to meaningful questions, inviting deeper reflection on the shared experience of the pandemic.
To inspire new connections, postcards will be available, encouraging visitors to send their own mail and participate in this timeless form of creative expression.
The Mail Art Stories Project exhibition is a celebration of mail art as both a creative and connective medium. It invites us to reflect on the universal challenges of the pandemic, offering a space for contemplation, healing, and shared understanding. The response has been overwhelmingly positive, and we look forward to bringing this unique collection to new cities, sharing these voices with even more communities around the world.
Bring Mail Art Stories to Your City
Our next goal for Mail Art Stories is to bring the art collection to various cities and galleries around the world. If you have a space where you’d like to display the collection, please contact us!
Kind Words for Mail Art Stories
“Be inspired and write a letter!! – For this project, 52 people around the world made post cards to share a little part of their lives during the pandemic. All their artistic cards were compiled into a book. It is intriguing to see all the different creations and have a glimpse into these people’s feelings (much like mine) during a difficult time in the world. If you enjoy Mail Art, writing letters, sending postcards or simply enjoy different forms of art…you’ll want to have a copy of this book.”
In the News
We are incredibly grateful to our media friends for helping us promote and share this project.
Media Release: Art Exhibition – The Mail Art Stories Project: Mail Art in the Time of Covid-19
Kawartha NOW: New book by Peterborough writer uses ‘mail art’ to capture personal stories about pandemic life
“An Important Connection During Covid – What a novel way to document such an extraordinary period. It captures our need to stay connected during this lonely, scary time that kept us so isolated yet brought the world together in shared uncertainty. This book can serve as a historical marker of a time that future generations will remember. It is definitely worth the purchase.”
Media Kit
Media friends can find the media release, author bios, headshots, book cover and interior images for the Mail Art Stories exhibition via the link below.
To schedule an interview, please contact Erica Richmond.
“A powerful and poignant collection of Mail Art from around the world! – This is living history ~ a combination of art and everyday voices captured in a time like no other. The editors have created a beautiful, empowering book speaking to the life and death challenges of our dear world. They give voice to young and old from all over the globe. This is a compelling vision of collective wisdom, healing, and connection through the humble medium of Mail Art. It is revolutionary in its simplicity and in its elegant equality. This profound book helps me to cherishthe beauty of our human condition.”