Kate Copeland
Graduate Student – Printmaking
Rhode Island School of Design, # 2144
2 College Street
Providence, RI 02903
Email: kcopelan@risd.edu
Heather O’Hara
Graduate Student – Printmaking
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14853
Email: plungerpress@hotmail.com
Portfolio: "International Student Print Exchange – Peer Introductions through Mail Art"
This exchange will provide participants with a glimpse into the lives of their distant peers. Advanced students from Poland, Germany, and the US are invited to create three different mail art pieces over the summer, each depicting an aspect of their lives. In the style of a postcard, the front of each print will be an image – the back will be a short text. Over the course of the exchange, participants will learn about each other’s interests, homes, and artwork.
1. For June, each participant will create a self-portrait. This theme should be taken loosely, simply providing a way for participants to highlight aspects of themselves. One side of the paper will contain a printed image; the other side will be a short text on the same theme. Participants are welcome to be serious or quirky, general or specific.
2. For July, each participant will create a piece about her/his home. Participants may highlight any aspect of the place they call home (country, city, house, etc), such as politics, landscape, family, etc. One side of the paper will contain a printed image; the other side will be a short text on the same theme.
3. For August, each participant will create a piece about her/his artwork. Participants may choose to use this final exchange to share new projects, to depict the print studio they work in, or to talk about their approach to art-making, etc. One side of the paper will contain a printed image; the other side will be a short text on the same theme.
MEDIA: All print media, preferably archival. Handwriting is acceptable for the text on the back of each print, as long as the text is the same throughout the edition.
PAPER: any paper, preferably archival, that is stiff enough to go through the mail
PAPER SIZE: 15 x 22 cm (approximately 6 x 8 1/2”), or folded to that size.
FORMAT: horizontal or vertical
NUMBER OF PRINTS TO BE EDITIONED: 3
EDITION SIZE: Each of the 3 prints will have an edition size of 11. Prints must be signed and numbered in pencil. (There are 9 participants total, and 2 extra portfolios for exhibition purposes.)
DISTRIBUTION: All prints will be mailed through the US, Polish, and German postal services. Each participant will be responsible for mailing her/his own prints to the other 9 participants, with 2 extra sent to the organizers for exhibition at the conference. After the conference, the extra two portfolios will be exhibited at various venues, including the Benson Hall Gallery at Rhode Island School of Design; after exhibitions, the organizers will attempt to place the portfolio in a collection. If sold, proceeds will be donated to a cause agreed upon by participants.
DEADLINES: One print must be postmarked by June 1, one print postmarked by July 1, and one by August 1. All resumes and technical sheets e-mailed by August 1.
FEES: Postage for all postcard-style prints (Each artist will be responsible for mailing 33 prints, each 15 x 22 cm, at the postal rate in her/his country.)
RESUME/ ARTIST STATEMENT: Please e-mail a resume and artist statement to the organizers by August 1.
TECHNICAL SHEET: Please write a description of your print media at the conclusion of the project, and e-mail it to the organizers by August 1.
OTHER DOCUMENTATION: The group may set up a Listserve in order to document communications.