The Art is in the Cards

Into the Sunset by Cheryl Dawdy, First Place

Eureka by Randee Ladden, Second Place

Blue Monday by Jodi Scaltreto, Third Palce

Xlatl Park by David McElroy

When They Went Out He Tended to Fade Into the Background by Lisa Corson

Swimming Koi by Jean Cook

Strong Threads by M. Parfitt

Queen of Cards by Zuleyka Benitez

Like Mother, Like Daughter by Judith Cahill

Lexicon 1c by Margaret Suchland

Good 'Morrow by Carole Kunstadt

Forsooth! Forsythia! by Suzanne Riggio

Imagine if you will an art lover and postcard aficionado receiving in the mail hundreds of tiny examples of art created for the postcard format. It’s a little like dying and going to postcard heaven and such was my fate for a few months during the spring and summer of this year. The artworks were entries in the ninth biennial Postcard Art Competition & Exhibition sponsored by the Curt Teich Postcard Archives. I received 425 little artistic gems created in every media imaginable including collage, watercolor, acrylic, photographs, and I even received a few tiny quilts. Surrounded by piles of amazing artwork I was the envy of my colleagues. After months of preparation, excitement and lots of work, Postcard Art Competition & Exhibition 2011 officially opened on Sunday, October 23rd at the Lake County Discovery Museum with a reception for the artists, sponsors, donors and special guests.

The Postcard Art Competition & Exhibition began in 1995. Dedicated to the American picture postcard, the intent of the exhibition was to focus new imaginative energy on a familiar form of expression. After 15 years and nine competitions I believe that the concept of asking artists to create postcard sized art remains fresh and dynamic and the exhibition continues to interest and please the public. Two judges are selected for each competition and they are asked to judge the work on creativity, technical expertise, and ease of reproduction in the postcard format. I am absolutely thrilled with the choices made by our judges Ron Testa and Doug Travis who both came to the competition with a long list of professional accomplishments.

Ron Testa has been making photographs since 1962. He holds a BFA and MFA in photography and he has served as a photographer for the Cleveland Museum of Art, U.S. Navy and Field Museum. In addition, he has taught photography around the country, and his photos have been shown in national and international exhibitions and published in many books and magazines. His work is represented in the permanent collections of a number of high profile museums, including The Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Doug Travis is a prolific artist living and working in Indianapolis, Indiana. He attended Herron School of Art, Columbia College Chicago and UNLV. He has lectured and conducted workshops in letterpress and bookbinding, and worked as a photographer for the state of Indiana. One of his primary studies of work is creating original postcards. He has won numerous awards for his work, including from past PACE exhibits.

This dynamic and engaging exhibition will be on display at the Lake County Discovery Museum until January 29, 2012 and after that it will travel to four other locations. Please contact me if you would like a list of those venues. If you are unable to visit the Museum in person, check out PACE 2011 on our website where you can view the additional twenty-four images that comprise the exhibition. If you would like to try your hand at creating postcard art, there is always next time, PACE 2013. Watch our website for information and competition details beginning in January 2013. Congratulations again to all the PACE artists and another huge thank you to all the PACE supporters.

The postcards shown above are the twelve images selected for the PACE 2011 reproduction postcard sets which are available for $9.50 including postage. The printing of the postcards sets was donated by Lake County Press, Waukegan, IL. Contact me if you are interested in purchasing them.