Ode to O'Keeffe
Collaboration by Karen Leigh and Gini Ogle
The Graceful Envelope
includes 135 stamped, canceled, delivered, juried, and awarded works
that are sure to draw interest from stamp enthusiasts and calligraphers
alike.
In their various styles and media, the envelopes range from colorfully
contemporary to delicately old-fashioned -- from whimsical and witty to
poignant and sentimental.
The stamp is often an integral aspect of the envelope's design, whether
incorporated directly into the illustration or used simply to accent the
artist's theme.
The
Graceful Envelope is a charming exhibition
from the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES)
and the Smithsonian's National Postal Museum which proves that the art
of the stamped and mailed envelope still exists, even with e-mail, fax,
and other immediate communications.
The Graceful Envelope features award-winning artistic envelopes
mailed to the National Postal Museum by calligraphers and artists in an
annual competition which began in 1995. What followed was altogether
unexpected. The museum received more than 200 stunningly crafted
envelopes from around the world. The remarkable assortment of entries
inspired the museum to offer the program annually and produce an art
exhibition from each year's best.
The exhibit includes envelopes by Kalispell artists Gini Ogle and Karen
Leigh (pictured above), as well as envelopes by Montana artists Virginia
L. Meltzer, Jody Reiner, Deborah Parsons Menke, Barbara A. Garfield, and
Robert Clifton Morrison.
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Smithsonian
Institution Traveling Exhibition Service |