Private Posts was a community art project produced in 2016 by artist Jonathan Larsen in conjunction with Beyond Empathy. It was an interactive community art installation that explored the private regrets and recollections of Armidale people and translated them into a shared community story and bold collaborative art installation.
In 2020, with a global pandemic, schools partially closed, and working from home the ‘new norm’ we have brought it back as a way for the community to communicate their thoughts and feelings.
Private Posts 2020
NERAM invites all members of the community to submit their own private postcard. Schools, businesses and individuals are invited to participate.
How to participate
Step #1 Create a postcard
We invite everyone in the community to make their own postcard with the opening line “Today I wish I could…”
You are welcome to paint, draw and/or write on your postcard. You may also print multiple copies for friends + family that may not have access to computers/printers.
Download the template here >> Postcard Template
Step #2 Share the postcard
There are 3 options to sharing your postcard
Option 1: Take a picture of your postcard and email it to education@neram.com.au / share through social media tagging @neramuseum on Instagram or @neram.art on Facebook.
Option 2: Mail your postcard via Australia Post:
New England Regional Art Museum
106-114 Kentucky Street
Armidale NSW 2350
Option 3: Drop it off at NERAM. There will be a box at the side entrance to slot it into.
What happens next?
The drawn images or hand-written postcard messages will be digitized and shared online as an evolving online exhibition with the possibility of future workshops to unfold…
The Private Posts 2020 Project will run until approximately August 2020.
Here is some inspiration from the community members who contributed in 2016….
Be inspired with the film below. ‘I wish I had told you’ is an animated short film by artist Jonathon Larsen created from this project produced in 2016. Here, he has used postcards made by the community to create a narrative through imagery and words.
Animator: Jonathon Larsen, Script Development: Benjamin Thorn, Voice over: April Larsen, Jonathon larsen, Benjamin Thorn
We would like to thank Beyond Empathy + Jonathon Larsen for enabling us to re-release this fabulous community art project.