Postmarks from Planet Art Therapy:Art Therapy Without Borders

International Postcard Art Exchange

In 2010, Art Therapy Without Borders

organized a collaborative art event where art therapists and art

therapy students living all over the world

participated in an international postcard art

exchange. This presentation features the project, its impact, and

the role of art and social networking to connect

the art therapy community worldwide.

Founded in 2010,

ATWB is dedicated to

promoting international

art therapy initiatives in

mental health,

healthcare, & education

worldwide

About Art Therapy Without Borders

To allow community members from the Art Therapy Alliance, International Art Therapy Organization, and Art Therapy Without Borders to receive postcard art from art therapists and art therapy students living all over the world and to learn about each other's work and interests worldwide.

Create community, collaboration, and connection for the international art therapy community

Postcard Exchange Intention

Mail art is a worldwide cultural movement that involves sending art through the international postal system.

The term networking is often used to describe Mail Art activities, based on the principles of barter and equal one-to-one collaboration. The Mail Art phenomenon has gradually migrated to the Internet, whose “social networks” create opportunities for the interactive processes of postal collaborations.

Retrieved from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mail_art

Mail Art

No special theme or media was designated to use.

A reminder was given that postcard art will go to destinations around the world and should be able to withstand this travel!

Postcards: On the Front

Nancy DominqueArt Therapist, Belgium

Include a brief paragraph about your work as an art therapist or art therapy student. Include whatever you think is interesting about your work/studies in art therapy and what art therapy is like where you live.

Postcards: On the Back

Who Participated & From Where

Who ParticipatedArt therapists and art therapy students participated from:

Singapore, France, Slovac Republic, Canada, Ireland, Australia, the UK, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, South Korea, Belgium, New Zealand, Hungary, Honduras, the United States, South Africa, Germany, Peru, Bulgaria,

Indonesia, Jamaica, Chile, and Hong Kong, China.

Over 250 participants in 25 countries

The term Social Media refers to the use of web-based and mobile technologies to turn communication into an interactive dialogue.

Social media are media for social interaction, as a superset beyond social communication. Enabled by accessible communication techniques, social media substantially change the way of communication between organizations, communities, as well as individuals.

What is Social Media?

Promotion and ParticipationAdministration, Photo, & Video SharingGlobal Connection, Dialogue & NetworkingParticipant Sharing & BloggingProject Archiving

Role of Social Media

Global networking among art therapy communityEmpowered art-makingCreated inspiration and hopeFacilitated connection and a sense of communityDecreased isolationLearning opportunity and awareness

Exchange’s Benefits & Value

“We believe that there is an invisible and unbreakable red thread connects all those who are destined to meet and to be together. Through the ATWB postcard exchange project, we’re connected via a red thread and a little piece of the attached art made by me a few days ago.”

Fiona Chang Expressive Art Therapist Hong Kong

I’ve received some postcards already, each time it is very exciting. I’ve really enjoyed this process of art making. It has also made me feel more connection with “our” community.

~Laurie Jarcho, Art Therapist New Haven, Connecticut

“This postcard art exchange gave me a lot of things. Process of creating my postcard helped me in different ways: I've found my motto, defined my job more, gave me inspirations to my art-project. Thanks for all those 16 postcards what I’ve got from thousands of kilometers far countries. It was a very good feeling to know about everyone in the world who use art-making for healing and helping people. As for isolation, this connection makes me stronger”.

~ Monica Kiraly, Budapest, Hungary

Each of my postcards have a thread on it which represents a symbolic weaving between all of us. I am enthusiastic about this exchange and I hope to meet each of you one day!

~Michela Baretti, Art Therapist, Piario, Italy

Caroline Maby, France

Postcards From Around the World

Yen Chua, Singapore

Louise Garland, Ireland

Postcards From Around the World

Elitsa Velikova, Bulgaria

Michelle Gerber, Greece

Danielle Deeke, Germany

Jihyun Hwang, South Korea

Janet McLeod, New Zealand

Mariana Santistevan, Peru

Postcards From Around the World

Anriet van Deventer-South Africa

Debbie Anderson, Canada

Postcards From Around the World

Renald Navilly, Australia

Ardhana Riswarie, Indonesia Johanna Pohlmann, Honduras

Lesli-Ann Belnavis, Jamaica

Jana Ratraova, Slovakia

Summary of work/studies, art therapy interestsHope for art therapy to become more recognizedEnthusiasm & passion for art therapyIncluding website, blog, Facebook page, e-mailLarge participation from students, new professionalsEducators introducing project to studentsGratitude towards project, intention, and participants

Common Themes

Individuals who signed up for the exchange and did not or could not follow through with making & sending postcards

Change in mailing address, misplaced mailing lists

How to safely mail postcard art, mail/post delivery

Making/Sending original art vs. reproduced art?

Challenges

ATWB Facebook Page

Google Virtual interactive map

atwb.org: Postcard Art Slideshow

View the Exchange

atwb.org

arttherapywithoutborders.org

Gretchen Miller MA, ATR-BC

gretchen@atwb.org

Art Therapy Without Borders, Inc.