277 kids in 40 US states, 20 countries, and 6 continents will be sending their artwork and letters through the mail and around the world to each other. Woohoo! And while I did question my sanity a few times (especially when doing data entry at midnight), I can't tell you how excited I am about this! Really, very excited!
Everyone should have received matches by now. If not, please e-mail me (jevanthul@yahoo.com). I may have typed up an e-mail address incorrectly or something.
Next step?
Make art.
Send to pen pal.
With or without letter.
Repeat.
I would love to keep this art pen pal idea growing and spreading somehow, especially since there is obviously an interest and I keep getting more and more e-mails! However, to borrow an expression from Harrison Shepherd, the lead character in Barbara Kingsolver's The Lacuna, my data entry assistant and I reside in the same shoes.* And my own family would like me to spend more time with them and less in front of the computer.
Enter: Flickr
So I started a Flickr group, titled Children's Art Gallery. You are all hereby cordially invited to post your children's art work to this site (with your kid's permission). And please do! I'd love to see it!
The Flickr gallery is for everyone, not just art pen pal participants, however I was also thinking that parents seeking art pen pals for their children could post a comment in the discussion section: "Seeking art pen pal for my 6 year old son." etc. and find a match that way. I have virtually no experience with Flickr -- does this sound doable?
Okay, enough for today. Let's get some art flying around the world!
* Shepherd and Kingsolver put it much more elegantly, of course. In a letter to his publisher, Shepherd (a writer) said,
Your letter made reference to my secretary-typist, to whom you plan to forward more notations. Be assured, the secretary-typist will be in intimate contact with the author, the telephone receptionist, cook, and housekeeper, as we all presently inhabit the same four-dollar shoes. With clothing-ration coupons as they are, it's a useful arrangement. (p.294)
