InLiquid’s USPS Art Project

What: InLiquid’s USPS Art Project

Where: At the Park Towne Place Art Studio Gallery, 2200 Benjamin Franklin Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19130

When: On view now until January 17, 2021

Instagram: @uspsartproject
Facebook: @uspsartproject
Website: https://uspsartproject.com
GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/f/usps-art-project
Founder: http://www.cmasseyart.com/

Last evening, I ventured to Park Towne Place near the Art Museum to check out InLiquid’s USPS Art Project. I have to say, the prospect of seeing art in person and being able to write about it had me absolutely thrilled.

The USPS Art Project is a mail-art artist collaboration project created by Christina Massey in April of 2020 as a way for artists to feel connected while practicing social distancing and supporting the United States Postal Service by sending and receiving packages. The project began as a simple idea—two artists partner up, each starting an artwork and sending it to the other to complete. Cool concept, right? These projects would be posted on social media with the hashtags #USPSARTPROJECT and #ARTISTSFORTHEUSPS. Christina started by texting a single friend, then a small group of friends, and rather quickly, the project took off to where it is now. As of October 2020, there are over 1,000 artworks created in this manner since the project’s inception by hundreds of artists.

One of the artists featured below, Kate Cahill Vansuch, shared what participating in this project meant to her:

I’ve really enjoyed the USPS Art Project. It allowed me to reconnect with my dear high school friend who I used to have art class with. We would leave notes and artwork for each other in our “art drawer” where we kept our assignments-in-progress. I always looked forward to art class because I love art and because I wanted to see what note or drawing my friend left for me. We shared the USPS art piece we created on Facebook and someone who is friends with our high school Art teacher told him about it. It was a really neat connection experience! He said he enjoyed knowing that my friend and I loved art class so much and enjoyed learning about the art sharing my friend and I did that he never knew about. The chance to exchange art again and to receive a surprise starter piece in the mail was so much fun. It allowed a safe way to connect and gave us something to look forward to. Our piece reminded one of my friends (who saw it on facebook) of when she was a child and she wanted to buy it! Lots of happiness spread all around by this one project and one piece of art.

If you’re interested in checking it out for yourself, reservations are a must. To visit, people can make an appointment on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Fridays between 10AM-6PM by emailing clare@inliquid.org. Or if you’d prefer to see it from the comfort and safety of home, check out the art by clicking here.

What I loved most about this exhibition was the wide variety and differences in every single work of art, which yet was also so cohesive at the same due to the shared mission of this project. Some pieces featured bright, bold colors which spoke of hope and joy, while others displayed darker and subdued hues, indicating despair and sadness. Other works of art questioned and challenged the leadership of our country, while others celebrated how far we have come, and still how far we have to go.