What is mail art?
Mail art can be just about any type of art including painting, water color, pencil, marking pen, collage, rubber stamp, or photograph on an envelope, postcard, package, or other medium. It can also be a three-dimensional piece. Any piece of art that is itself stamped and addressed. Normally, the art is not enclosed in an envelope or package, but rather is on the envelope or package. Ideally we can hang the piece on the wall or display it on a shelf just as it arrives through the mail. You can also design your own postage stamps, perhaps for a country that you make up.
A mail art envelope from the Ben Franklin mail art event
Themes
Usually Modesto Art Museum events have a basic theme. The one for 2008 is architecture and interior design. Use the theme as inspiration, but don't let it limit your creativity.
Sometimes mail art is a painting/collage on a canvas.
It can also be a sculpture, like this one made of ping pong balls glued together. On one side is the address, on the other are the stamps. This piece came from Canada. It was not enclosed in a box or other wrapping and it survived the trip to Modesto just fine. Other sculptures have been done in ceramics, glass, plastic, and metal. Some artists have made use of cans, jars, CDs, cigar boxes, and all other manner of containers and materials.
Sometimes people design their own postage stamps. This can be especially fun since you can also invent your own country.
The Electric Museum of Mail Art
or Google mail art for many other sites and examples.