The Mail Art Club is back! This time in Oakland, at the Roll Up Project
Untitled by Joseph “JD” Green, 2020
This will be the third exhibit for Creativity Explored's Mail Art Club, which is still going strong — meeting via Zoom every Tuesday morning, and continuing to send mail art to each other via the United States Postal Service.
When the pandemic hit in 2020, there was great concern about how artists with developmental disabilities at CE would maintain a sense of community, as well as their art practices. The organization quickly adapted to support the artists with customized art kit deliveries and a suite of virtual classes. One such class was the Mail Art Club, started by teaching artist and show co-curator Michael Napper and Judith LaRosa.
Sending art in the mail quickly became an essential and reliable means for the community to connect, no matter one’s abilities or internet access. Many artists at CE who struggle with using technology or verbal language needed a different way to connect, communicate, and make art. Younger artists, in particular, gravitated towards the Mail Art Club, finding meaning and purpose in the handmade. Soon, artists and mail enthusiasts across the country got word of the Mail Art Club, and the group expanded to include members of the San Francisco Correspondence Cooperative, as well as artists with disabilities from other centers like CE.
Check out the Roll Up Project website for more info and to plan your visit ▸
About Roll Up Project:
Roll Up Project is a window gallery in Oakland’s Jack London District that features emerging and established artists. Roll up or stroll by, stop, and look for a while. Art installations are located on two sides of the building: The Door and The Window. The Door is located at 217 Harrison Street. It is open from 10 am to 5 pm, Monday through Friday. The Window is located around the corner at 307 Third Street. It is visible all the time.
Squeak Carnwath and Gary Knecht started the Roll Up Project in 2017. Carnwath is an Oakland-based painter and printmaker, and Professor Emerita at UC Berkeley. Knecht is a community organizer and longtime advocate for the Jack London neighborhood. Together, they are providing a space to show art in a non-commercial and easily accessible setting.
Contact info@rollupproject.com for any inquiries.