Surprise Art

June 30, 2020 8:59 PM

So, the world is kind of crazy and bad right now. I'd like to move the needle on that by mailing Surprise Art (MeFi TM) to other MeFites. Would you like to receive surprise art? Do you have a friend who you think would be happy to receive surprise art? Do you want to make surprise art and mail it to another MeFite (or their friend)? Please respond or fill out this google form.

Right now I'm painting a lot of plants on 8x10 boards. Definitely beginner level, but enthusiastic. Painting feels really "good" for me, and I think there might be people out there who receivieng a painting might be similarly good for. I'll include a (sticky) note if you'd like with your preferred message.

posted by arnicae to MetaFilter-Related at 8:59 PM (53 comments total)

That sounds delightful, arnicae. I'm in.
posted by cortex (staff) at 9:00 PM on June 30, 2020

Question as I go through the form, actually: I'm down to send someone some surprise art, but I didn't have anyone in particular in mind. Am I right to think givers will be matched up with receivers behind the scenes, and if so should I just put an N/A in that "What is your address (or the address of the recipient?)" field if I've selected "give"?

Or am I inventing some matching-up work you hadn't expected to be doing? I don't want to invent work for you.
posted by cortex (staff) at 9:04 PM on June 30, 2020 [1 favorite]

I just filled it out twice (once for giving and once for receiving). I notice the final question about a note to include was in there twice, and one time was not optional. I did not actually want to include a note especially but didn't have a choice so I just put some filler text there.
posted by lollusc at 4:05 AM on July 1, 2020

This sounds lovely. I’m so excited!
posted by rebekah at 4:59 AM on July 1, 2020

Does coloring count? I have a bunch of cool stained glass coloring books and I'd love to send some artwork to others?
posted by kathrynm at 8:35 AM on July 1, 2020 [1 favorite]

I signed up to send art. I'd be happy to send to multiple people if needed. I have a variety of things - little notebooks, blank cards. paintings, and prints.
posted by See you tomorrow, saguaro at 8:41 AM on July 1, 2020

Sweet idea! I signed up to give and receive. This will be fun! Thanks, arnicae, for organizing it.
posted by heyho at 9:07 AM on July 1, 2020

I just noticed the form doesn't have a request for email address - do you need that info?
posted by See you tomorrow, saguaro at 9:13 AM on July 1, 2020

Signed up twice (to both send and receive) - hopefully I did it in a way that is clear! I’d be happy to help with any logistics if you end up needing another set of hands on any of the organizing.
posted by firei at 9:35 AM on July 1, 2020

Hi everyone! Thank you for the awesome response.

Kanata, it is totally fine to just sign up to receive!
Kathrynm, coloring absolutely counts!
Cortex, that would be a flub from my side - I tried to set up the google form so if you're a giver it would just go straight to "submit form" after question one but it looks like it didn't do that correctly.

I'm planning to message everyone through MeFi to get address and match up recipients and art-senders. Please check your MeFi Mail later today.

I think I am set up without having people's email addresses...but I'll post back in the thread if I have issues.
posted by arnicae at 11:01 AM on July 1, 2020

This is so great! I'm not an artist but happy to send $ for art supplies to those who are making.
posted by Twicketface at 1:33 PM on July 1, 2020 [1 favorite]

This is amazing, and has inspired me to make some art while I’m off for a few days!
posted by okayokayigive at 3:20 PM on July 1, 2020

Is this US only? The address field in the form doesn't say anything, and neither does anything in this post.
posted by rpn at 3:49 PM on July 1, 2020

YAY YAY
posted by Glinn at 4:52 PM on July 1, 2020 [2 favorites]

I am a little worried that the organizer may be overwhelmed by responses, especially people with 2 responses. (or maybe not! I don't know.) If I can help, let me know.
posted by Glinn at 4:58 PM on July 1, 2020 [2 favorites]

A stitching group I'm in uses Elfster for exchanges, which is free and might make things simpler.
posted by Flannery Culp at 5:39 PM on July 1, 2020 [2 favorites]

This is so cool! Can "art" include functional ceramics, or do you prefer 2-D?
posted by centrifugal at 11:54 PM on July 1, 2020 [1 favorite]

Thank you for thinking of this! Would love to give and receive, but is UK ok for receiving? Have completed form as giver but not yet as receiver.
posted by paduasoy at 2:43 AM on July 2, 2020

I make art postcards every month and would be more than happy to send a few around - is it okay that I get them printed, rather than mailing out original art? Is that something people would be into?
posted by bile and syntax at 10:48 AM on July 2, 2020 [6 favorites]

I filled out the form but I'm not sure if I did it right.
posted by aniola at 12:23 PM on July 2, 2020

I would love to send art but don't have a particular recipient in mind, so I have not filled out the form.

(I recently sent an art to a friend and she HUNG IT ON HER REFRIGERATOR!! I was so proud!)
posted by supermedusa at 3:04 PM on July 2, 2020 [4 favorites]

I’m not in charge, but I’d be happy to send to another country and happy to get whatever style or format of art that someone wants to send!

Also I can’t guarantee that my art will be good art, but I can promise it will come from the heart!
posted by firei at 3:52 PM on July 2, 2020

I filled it out to send art but I didn’t fill out a recipient address
posted by gt2 at 4:32 PM on July 2, 2020

I'm in the same boat as supermedusa. I think I'd like to give/send art, but I don't have anyone in mind as a recipient. I'd be fine with it going to any MeFite who wants to receive art. Should I do like gt2 and fill it out to send but leave off a recipient address?
posted by coppertop at 5:36 PM on July 2, 2020 [1 favorite]

What a fab idea. I'm signing up to get a nice little bit of art, it would really lift my spirits. Drawing or painting isn't my greatest area of artistic expertise (background is music and writing), but I'm a decent amatuer photographer. If we want to include original photo prints as art, I could do that.
posted by NorthernLite at 9:14 AM on July 3, 2020 [1 favorite]

I signed up to receive assuming I'd be matched with someone who wanted to send. I'm happy to get any art someone would like to share.
posted by InfidelZombie at 1:16 PM on July 3, 2020

Hi everyone! Sorry, long weekend at work. I apologize if the form was confusing - I tried to set it up so that if you said you wanted to "give" that answer would just complete the form and only people who wanted to "receive" would get the prompt for the address. The "note" form was if you were putting in someone else's address and wanted to include a note so they understood why they were getting surprise art.

Please respond twice if you want to give and receive!

Anything that means art to you counts as surprise art!

All the matches (so far) have been made, I'll be sending messages to all the giver's mefi mail today with an address of a recipient. If you'd like to sign up for multiple recipients, just let me know.

We have 57 responses as of today which is cool!
posted by arnicae at 7:22 AM on July 6, 2020 [6 favorites]

Raaaaad. Thanks for spearheading this, arnicae. If it'd end up being helpful to have another set of hands for anything, let us know.
posted by cortex (staff) at 10:58 AM on July 6, 2020

I just now saw this, and submitted to both give and received. If you are still accepting people that would be awesome.
posted by gemmy at 5:59 AM on July 7, 2020

I had signed up but haven’t gotten a memail. Not sure if you are still sending or if my sign up didn’t go through. I’m interested in both giving and receiving!
posted by firei at 8:44 AM on July 8, 2020 [1 favorite]

I haven’t gotten a memail yet either
posted by gt2 at 10:51 AM on July 8, 2020

Happy Thursday y'all! All of the messages have been sent for the first batch of matches. So far we are at 29 matches (big thank you to the artists who have signed up for multiple recipients!). Right now we have 17 recipients left unmatched, mostly US-ian but a few Canadians, two from the UK and one from Australia. If you are interested in signing up to send one more piece of art please message me!
posted by arnicae at 2:55 PM on July 9, 2020 [4 favorites]

Got the MeMail - YAY! I might be able to send a second one but will take me a week or so to get my first one off - will get back to you. Thanks for organising this.
posted by paduasoy at 3:37 PM on July 9, 2020

Great thank you paduasoy!!!!
posted by arnicae at 3:41 PM on July 9, 2020

So exciting to get a surprise art package in my mailbox today! I don't know which of you awesome mefites it is from, but it is beautiful and actually matches one room of my house. I love it, thank you!!

Surprise art!
posted by fairlynearlyready at 8:18 AM on July 14, 2020 [11 favorites]

So exciting to get a surprise art package in my mailbox today! I don't know which of you awesome mefites it is from, but it is beautiful and actually matches one room of my house. I love it, thank you!!

It’s so happy. I love it.
posted by gt2 at 12:46 PM on July 14, 2020 [1 favorite]

I sent mine off today via UPS; should arrive out in Cali by Friday. Yay; it's like quonsmas in July!
posted by heyho at 2:26 PM on July 20, 2020 [3 favorites]

Oh people, many oohs and ahs as I opened my wonderful art works from gemmy. A lovely ceramic cup/ bowl, a delightful metal and nail polish ring, & a gorgeous turquoise & silver "quarantine tree."

My description is not doing them justice. I'll try to post an image another day, but wanted to immediately say danke, merci, thank you!!

Meanwhile, are we at the point we should message our recipients if the projects aren't on their way yet? I had to send away for something as part of mine, and it's been much delayed in transit.
posted by NorthernLite at 3:51 PM on July 22, 2020 [2 favorites]

Got four envelopes put out in the mail today, to California and Minneapolis and Canada and France!
posted by cortex (staff) at 4:31 PM on July 22, 2020 [1 favorite]

I mailed out packages to CA & MO today!
posted by firei at 9:54 AM on July 23, 2020 [1 favorite]

I mailed out packages to OH and PA just now. Expecting Monday delivery.
posted by coppertop at 9:50 AM on July 24, 2020 [1 favorite]

Yesterday I sent three out to Seattle, Colorado, and Canada. So exciting!
posted by danabanana at 3:04 PM on July 24, 2020 [1 favorite]

I got my surprise art this week! And I was so excited that I promptly put it up at my desk and recycled the envelope that it came on, which I believe had the Mefite’s username on it. (There’s a real name on the back of the piece, which I won’t share here for obvious reasons.)

The message on the back was beautiful, and the art (particularly the reflection out of the darkness) even more so. I absolutely adore it!

I have a stack of mail ready to go out to the postbox on Monday, and the two surprise art pieces will be with them as long as they are sufficiently dry. (Darn humidity.)

Thank you so so much for putting this swap together, arnicae!
posted by okayokayigive at 12:40 PM on July 25, 2020 [3 favorites]

Got mine from fireri today and I love it! Will share a pic when I get a frame
posted by InfidelZombie at 5:06 PM on July 25, 2020 [2 favorites]

Got my surprise art from none other than arnicae! It perfectly matches a vase I have. Thank you so much for the lovely painting and organizing this whole thing!
posted by Diskeater at 10:08 AM on July 26, 2020 [3 favorites]

I sent mine out last week to Maryland and Australia. Hoping the packages make their way safely!
posted by See you tomorrow, saguaro at 6:40 AM on July 27, 2020 [2 favorites]

I mailed my last one to MN. Ups said it should get there around Monday. What a fun project.
posted by gt2 at 12:33 PM on July 28, 2020

My art from heyho arrived yesterday! A gorgeous canvas print looking up from the streets of Chicago.

And, yes, your handwriting is totally legible and readable. :)
posted by hanov3r at 12:17 PM on July 29, 2020 [1 favorite]

I'm so happy you like it! UPS noted a severe weather situation, so it arrived just a little later.

And hanov3r is kind. I have the handwriting of a serial killer. KEYBOARDS 4EVER
posted by heyho at 1:05 PM on July 29, 2020

I got art! Lovely prints, notebooks, and cards! I don't know the username of the artist, so I'm hoping that they see this and know how much I appreciate it! <3333
posted by amarynth at 2:10 PM on July 29, 2020 [1 favorite]

I got art! Mefite Northernlite sent me a print of 5 photographs she had taken. I saw the envelope in the mailbox, and didn't immediately remember what mail I was expecting but then it clicked. This was fun! I hope Metafilter does this again!
posted by wittgenstein at 11:46 AM on July 30, 2020 [2 favorites]

Thank you, danabanana, for the delightful bilingual tomato collage! I'll never forget what different kinds of tomatoes are called in Spanish again.
posted by centrifugal at 3:00 PM on July 30, 2020 [2 favorites]

Cortex, when I saw you’d shipped yours to France I was crossing my fingers! I got two beautiful test prints of the nope and cactus linocuts! Love them and have ordered frames!
posted by ellieBOA at 6:10 AM on July 31, 2020 [3 favorites]