Print Power Postcard Project Via Snail Mail

In April 2018, the Santa Barbara Printmakers group spun off an organization called Print Power dedicated to using the healing power of creative expression as an outlet for survivors of trauma. Timed to coincide with Sexual Assault Awareness Month, which is April, the group organized a series of sessions at the Community Arts Workshop (CAW) on Garden Street. At these events, artists Bay Hallowell, Claudia Borfiga, Meagan Stirling, and Sara Woodburn provided screen printing instruction and materials along with information and resources for those who have experienced sexual assault and interpersonal violence.

Dozens of people came, some more than once, and the artworks they made were displayed at the CAW. The show was a forceful reminder of both the malign presence of sexual assault in our society, and of the healing power of the creative process. 

As with virtually all other scheduled arts events in this season of virus-induced isolation, Print Power has had to pivot to a remote strategy in order to accomplish its mission. Fortunately, thanks to the heroic work of the organizers and the United States Postal Service, Print Power — which added Torrie Cutbirth to the team this year — continues for 2020 by mail. 

Full instructions for this year’s workshop can be found below. 

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Have a read through the steps below and see if you’d like to take part in the free Print Power Postcard Project.

Step 1: Fill out this form with your contact info, and we’ll send you our free postcard kit (includes 2 x blank postcards, some materials, an instructional guide, and a pre-addressed, postage paid envelope).

Step 2: Receive your postcard kit in your mail, and get creative! Please leave the address side of the postcard blank.

Step 3: Place your finished postcards inside the provided envelope and drop it in the mail. 

Step 4: We will be eagerly awaiting them, and upon receipt we’ll hold onto one postcard for our archive, and send one to everyone who took part.

Step 5: You’ll receive a postcard designed by another participant that is yours to keep! (Fingers crossed you don’t receive your own design, but to keep the postcards anonymous we won’t know who sent which designs to us!)

Guidelines

Our project for 2020 focuses on using the healing power of creative expression as an outlet for trauma, specifically sexual assault and/or interpersonal violence. This project is for survivors of this trauma, as well as friends or family members who may also have been impacted. We would love to see postcard artwork that relates to this subject; you’re welcome to make shapes or words or colors, abstract or representational, that express your feelings and experiences of:

Sexual Assault — any sexual contact, whether physical, verbal, or visual, that occurs without consent.

Interpersonal Violence — the intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against a person or group that results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological harm, maldevelopment, or deprivation.

* We have 100 Postcard Kits to share, once they’re gone, they’re gone! 

* Sorry, no international mailing addresses, we need to keep costs down.

* Your contact info will only be used by the Print Power team for this project, other participants will never see your address, and all artwork remains anonymous.

If you had a friend that you were bringing to a workshop, or someone in mind who may also benefit from taking part, please feel free to forward our email to invite them to participate as well. If you work for an organization that has clients who may benefit please let us know and we can arrange to involve them too.

Send any questions or comments to printpowersb@gmail.com! 

We wish you health, happiness, and creativity, 

The Print Power Team