I've hosted several Art Parties for local friends over the last couple of years. They are informal affairs where we gather over finger food and art supplies. The subject matter for the group is emailed to everyone ahead of time and tend to be a bit off beat. Topics like blindfolded painting, paper maché pizzas and masks. Over the course of an evening we eat, drink, chat and create and everyone leaves with art. Last Sundays event was mail art and we gathered to support my friend, artist Ria Vanden Eynde, who is gathering mail art as part of her contribution to the F**K the Big C exhibit opening in September. Along with cancer survivors Betty Esperanza of Canada and Branka Djordjević of Luxemburg, they are featured at the Eve N odd Gallery in St. Petersburg, Florida during the month of September. The exhibit features original work from theses 'three sistahs'. The works are inspirational and the message is that these artists have emerged as stronger women and artists after going through a cancer trajectory, fully determined to Live their Art Life to the fullest. Over the course of the last several months I've worked with Ria to produce small giclée editions of her originals. A portion of sales from the editions help support My Hope Chest, a Seminole, Florida charity that aids low income women afford breast reconstruction. The mail art call helps support the American Cancer Society Benjamin Mendick Hope Lodge in Tampa Florida.
Our Art Party focused on Ria's call for artists to submit 4 x 6 examples of mail art to the gallery and during the course of the exhibition visitors may take them home for a donation. The cards are also featured on Ria's mail art blog. There's still plenty of time to make some art to support Ria, Betty and Branka and cancer charities; there's even time to organize your own Art Party.
