Pen Pal gallery

Thank you to all our community participants! Here are the wonderful responses we received (*♡∀♡)

POSTCARD ARTWORK

Each Snail Mail package contained:

• 4 signed postcards, 1 from each creative - this is from us to you ♡

• 1 postcard with a prepaid stamp and return address - for participants to send back to us!

• 1 mini zine with artwork information

You’ll receive one of three postcards from Anjalee:

These are flights of fancy based on photographs she took in Mississauga during different seasons. In all three of her postcards, Anjalee hopes to express how connected we are to nature and how indispensable nature is to our physical and mental wellbeing.

Thoughts during a trail on the path to Streetsville - Its corresponding photograph was taken during October 2022, and Anjalee was struck by how the golden light interacted with the golden and red leaves. Looking more closely, though, she noticed that there were green leaves, despite being well into fall. That realization brought about pondering on leaves that resist their eventual decay.

Thoughts while waiting for the bus - The second postcard’s photograph was taken during February 2023. Here, she was fascinated by how geometrical the denuded branches of a deciduous tree look, and yet, how humanlike they look, like dancers in a tableau with expressive, beautifully-moulded arms, wrists, and hands.

Thoughts before entering the Jubilee Garden - Finally, Anjalee took the third photograph in July 2023, and she loved how the entrance to the Jubilee Garden, an oasis from the bustle of downtown Mississauga, is almost hidden by the smooth hydrangea in the foreground.

Ray is sending you one of three illustrations:

Love letter to PC Skate Park is all about expressing your love for Port Credit Skatepark and the Port Credit community. A space to express yourself, connect, build, show love, gratitude and be an individual. What does Port Credit mean to you? How has PC Skatepark made an impact on your life and community? Share your stories and write your own love letter to this park using this post card. Let's build each other up and give back by showing love.

Express yourself! Get funky, fresh and express yourself on the court. What does your inner game face look like? Let's see you express yours! How does playing a sport you love make you feel? Create your own mascot and character playing your favourite sport.

Ebb and Flow is a digital illustrated mural series located in Sculpture Court Skate Park in the City of Mississauga. Depicting local skateboarders and break-dancers that have helped shape and continue to build the Mississauga hip-hop and skateboard community over the last 15 years. This design is one of the panels dedicated to the breakdance Sauga Street-Dance Summit that took place in the Living Arts Center. The floating text reads “Honour” in pre-colonial Filipino Baybayin Script. To acknowledge and honour the people, land, culture and traditions that came before us and those who paved the way for community building and impact using poetry, breakdancing, art and music as conduits for social change and positive reinforcement. This piece honours not only the event but all the people that have participated and continue to give back. The cosmic elements also represent the dynamic and explosive energy of a break dance battle, skate jam/contest or live performance. All flowing with the universe in that present moment in time and feeding off each other's creative energy. The ebb and flow from skating, breaking, making art and performing on the spot is a synonymous feeling and bond that allows everyone from all ages to express themselves through the art of movement, music and voice. That can empower individuals to find out their true identity, bring cathartic release, heal and foster community. Uniting generations to learn and build with each other for a greater good.

From Amanda, you’ll get one of three artworks:

These postcards are a celebration of Mississauga’s natural landscape in the summertime. To make these images, Amanda used a process called cyanotype printing. For these cyanotypes, she coated watercolour paper in a light sensitive compound, and then placed them in the sun with a collection of flowers, leaves and seeds from the park by her house.

Linh is sending you:

Ribbit in A Thicket which is an exploration of a slow, small moment featuring an American toad and peonies. It is an experimental stop-motion animation made by scanning layers of painted duralar. By viewing this artwork through the (free) mobile app Artivive, you’ll be able to view the animation in augmented reality (AR).

Summer Walkabout is a continuation of real-world and AR adventures, no physical postcard was created for it but the artwork is linked in the Snail Mail zine. View the interactive web scene HERE to explore a nature walk through Mississauga from July through Linh’s eyes.

Note: these AR components are ephemeral, like postcards are meant to be, and will still be viewable online when the interactive components have been discontinued in the future.

The Pen Pal Postcard with the project mascot is the one we’re inviting community members to mail back to us! The design on the reverse side of all postcards are the same, but the Pen Pal card has a stamp and return address label (with a snippet of each creative’s artwork) included.

meet the creatives

project partners

This project is funded by Mississauga Arts Council’s Matchmaker MicroGrant Program through the support of RAMA Gaming House - Charitable Gaming at City of Mississauga

Thank you to STEPS Public Art, Arts Etobicoke, Art Gallery of Mississauga, Visual Arts Mississauga, City Councillor John Kovac, Clarkson BIA, City of Mississauga and Mississauga Libraries for your support