MAKING CONNECTIONS
Emails aren’t everything.
Five Bear River friends have found a way to stay in touch with each other while sharing their creative gifts.
For the last 19 months Anne Zimmerman, Cathy Banks, Joey Thorpe, Joyce Peck and Sharon Trueman- Goodyear have been mailing postcards back and forth monthly.
Each month they make a handmade postcard with their drawings, paintings or collages and take turns writing to someone different.
“It gives you something to look forward to every month,” said Peck.
Peck has even framed a couple she thought were extra special.
“I was always excited to receive it and to send one each month,” added Zimmerman.
The idea started in 2016 when a friend of Thorpe and Trueman- Goodyear passed away. They began sending postcards to each other as a way to carry on their memories.
When the word spread to the other three artists, it quickly began a monthly group activity.
“Emails aren’t kept forever, but we’ll keep these forever,” said Trueman-Goodyear.
The group has been friends for roughly 14 years.
The postcard idea was just a creative way to talk with each other. Even when some of them were travelling, they still had something to look forward to each month.
“I felt surprised when one came in because you never know when it’s going to come,” said Trueman-Goodyear.
“Every month we’re just waiting for it,” added Thorpe.
With 102 postcards sent and received between them, they plan to continue the trend.
“I’m always excited. I just want to show it off to everybody,” said Banks.
When starting the idea, it was just supposed to be a way for the group to connect but after realizing they were all dedicated to the monthly activity, they decided to set up an exhibit in Bear River.
The exhibit called Art By Post ran at the Oakdene Centre April 27- 29.