You've got bike mail

In the late 19th century, artists were drawn to the distribution methods and various communication opportunities created by the postal system. Artists created various types of stationary, stamps and postcards to express numerous ideas through the mail. In the mid-20th century, artists inspired by the Fluxus movement built an international mail art system reacting against the exclusivity of institutional art.

At Carnegie Mellon, artists Ally Reeves and John Peña, two Master of Fine Arts candidates in the School of Art, have been inspired by the postal system, too. They decided to create their own postal service. During the Three Rivers Arts Festival the artists collected handwritten mail with the future task of hand delivering it to residents around the western Pennsylvania area. The two created the Pedal Postal Project, building a generic mailroom in the College of Fine Arts building and organizing and delivering the mail they collected by bike. Some recipients have opened their doors to the Reeves and Peña, others were just not home, leaving lots of mail still left to deliver. Clearly this project could not have happened six years ago when, in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks, anthrax-infested letters were sent to members of the media and U.S. lawmakers. But what the artists have been able to tell us through this project is, optimistically, we may be entering into a new era of trust, compassion and personal interaction rather than being fearful and private.

Eric Sloss