Friday, May 27, 2022

The Worst Consequences




Two postcards received from Russia. The text goes beyond the issue of abortion but I am including the entire message from this brave and conscientious citizen. 

Who Will Feed and Care For Children?


This card was received from Phoenix, Arizona

Certain Rights May Be Taken Away




This postcard was received from Belgium

SCOTUS



A Life Which is Loved, Wanted and Dignified



This postcard was received from Poland. 

Sometimes Pro, Sometimes Contra



This card was received from Germany.


The Right to Choose



This card was received from Belgium.

According to Wikipedia: "Abortion in Belgium was fully legalized on April 4, 1990. Abortion is legal until 12 weeks after conception (14 weeks after the last menstrual period). The women is required to receive counselling at least six days prior to the abortion and to check in with her doctor to monitor her health in the weeks after the procedure.Later abortions are permitted if there is a risk to the woman's life or the fetus shows risk of birth defects. As of 2009, the abortion rate was 9.2 abortions per 1000 women aged 15–44 years."

Green Chocolate


The second of two postcards received from an artist in Phoenix, Arizona

Emily Recipe


This is the first of two postcards from an artist in Phoenix, AZ. 

Wednesday, May 18, 2022

Choose Courage



This is the second card sent by an artist in Wausau, Wisconsin

Never Again: My Body My Choice



This is the first of two cards received from an artist in Wausau, Wisconsin. 

I Can Decide



This card was received from Basel, Switzerland.

Children Should Be Wanted



This card was received from the Netherlands

Pro-Woman Pro-Choice




This card was received from Jacksonville, Florida

Under the Right Circumstances


A postcard from a German national living in St Paul, Minnesota

Reproductive Rights = Equal Rights


This card was received from an artist in Flagstaff, Arizona

Vote: Choice Matters



This card was received from Sacramento, California

Available to Everyone


A postcard from Ashland, Oregon

I Hope the Decision Never Has to be Made


A card from Traverse City, Michigan

I Am...Torn


A card from Phoenix, Arizona

Another Day's End


Card from the partner of a South Bay artist

The Horizon Lies Beyond


Card from a South Bay artist

Monday, May 16, 2022

CALL FOR ART: I DO BELIEVE POSTCARD SHOW

I am organizing a postcard exhibit with the theme, I Do Believe, on opinions about abortion. The woman’s right to abortion in the United States became Federal law on January 22, 1973 through the Supreme Court Case, Roe v. Wade. Individual states could no longer have their own laws that would contradict the provisions of this Supreme Court decision. But the passage of Roe v. Wade did not put the issue of abortion rights to rest.  The recently leaked draft of the Supreme Court opinion by Justice Samuel Alito in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization overturns the landmark Roe v. Wade decision. This will likely become law, and other anti-abortion laws may soon take effect in many States. There are widespread disagreements among United States citizens, politicians and media about abortion.

This mail project invites opinions on all sides of the abortion debate.  Postcards received for I Do Believe will be pinned on a large cloak worn by a female mannikin and exhibited at the Vargas Gallery, Mission College, Santa Clara from August 29 - September 26, 2022. The purpose of this exhibition is to share beliefs, opinions and experiences on all sides of this issue. Postcard comments will be documented in this mail art blog.

To participate, please write on the front of your card (the side with the picture) your belief on either right to life (against legalized abortion) or right to choose (legalized abortion). It can be a few words, one sentence, or a paragraph. You do not have to be an artist to participate. It can be in English or any country's language. The deadline has been extended to July 31, 2022.  Mail your postcard to : I Do Believe, c/o Priscilla Otani, PO Box 31083, San Francisco, CA 94131.

The card should be the standard postcard size of 6 x 4 inches (148 x 105 mm in Europe). You can use any commercial postcard or you can create your own. You can mail your postcard with or without an envelope. For all postcards received, I will black out the name of the sender to safeguard anonymity.

I hope that you will share your thoughtful, heart-felt beliefs, whatever they may be, on this complex and important subject. Please share this call for postcards with your friends and organizations.


Thursday, May 12, 2022

Donuts from Germany


This delicious postcard with a serious message was sent from Germany.

Words to Reflect Upon

This postcard is from Germany. 

Every Woman Has the Right to Choose





These cards were received from Illinois, near Chicago. The lower card is artwork by Angela Gonzales, one of the first employees hired in the 1960's at Fermilab. The writer states that Angela "transformed abstract principles of atomic physics into tangible form." 

According to Wikipedia, "Fermilab National Accelerator Laboratory, located just outside Batavia, Illinois, near Chicago, is a United States Department of Energy national laboratory specializing in high-energy particle physics." 

Abortions Have Been Around Since Ancient Times



This card was received from Germany.

Transparently from Zaragoza


This transparent postcard with a record label arrived from Zaragoza, Spain. It is from a mail and mail sound artist. It is included in this exhibition because it was sent to the "I Do Believe" project. 

Tuesday, May 3, 2022

A Chosen Child is a Wanted Child


This lovely card arrived from an artist in San Francisco.

Life AND Choice



This card arrived from Alabama

Woman's Right to Choose


This card arrived from Arizona.