Traveling Mail Art Vs. Collection Mail Art: What's the Difference?

Beginners Guide to Trading Mail Art

Pam Gaulin
What are the differences between the traveling Land Mail Art Object (LMAO) and the collection Land Mail Art Object (LMAO)?

There are some important differences to be aware of when starting to trade your paper crafts through mail art exchanges. One type of Land Mail Art Object (LMAO) may work better for you than the other.

What is a Traveling Land Mail Art Object?

A traveling Land Mail Art Object is paper crafts or artwork which originates with one artist, travels to a series of other artists, only to return back home to the original artist.

Any artist can start a traveling exchange.

First, decide which type of traveling Land Mail Art Object you want to start trading. The traveling LMAO could be an altered book, a jam card, a decorated booklet, a friendship book, camera art, a slam, or any other type of paper crafts that you want to have other other artists collaborate on with you.

Next, find an online community with other artists who trade LMAOs.

When setting up a traveling Land Mail Art Object exchange, be as detailed as possible in the "call for participants" as you can. A good LMAO host is clear, to the point of being transparent, about what is expected in the artwork exchange.

Details about the trade should include a request for mailing addresses of all participants, and that those addresses be made available to all participants, how long each artist will have to work on the artwork, how postage should be handled, which paper crafts areacceptable forms of art, and even what type of material is acceptable.

Another important factor to consider when hosting a traveling LMAO is how many artists can participate. The more artists involved, the longer the exchange may take, and the potential for mishaps increases.

A traveling LMAO may be hindered by an artist who is unavailable, or holds onto the paper craft object or artwork too long, one person can through the whole traveling LMAO out of sync.

At the end of the traveling LMAO, when the artwork reaches the host once again, the host should make copies for all participants and mail them out.

The main advantage to hosting a traveling LMAO is that you get to keep the final artwork. This is not true for a collection land mail object exchange.

What is a Collection Land Mail Art Object (LMAO)?

A collection mail art object trade is one where a host makes a call for artists to participate in an exchange. The participants sign up or contact the host.Then they send in their artworks to the host. The host then sorts the artwork, and mails the art of a fellow artist to all of the participants.

Similar to the traveling LMAO, the host should be clear about what is expected from the artist participants.

Typically, a deadline is set for the collection Land Mail Art Object trade.

There are a number of advantages to the collection LMAO. One, the collection Land Mail Art Object can be run fairly quickly and smoothly. If one artists drops out of sight, it won't affect the entire process.

Also, hosting and participating in a collection LMAO is a great way to "meet" many different artists and establish ongoing trades with your favorites

Those are the similarities and differences between traveling and collection

Published by Pam Gaulin - Featured Contributor in Arts & Entertainment and Lifestyle

Pam Gaulin is a freelance writer, journalist (B.A., Journalism), new (and next!) media writer and artist. Associated Content named her 2007 Content Producer of the Year. "First for Women" magazine featured...   View profile

2 Comments

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  • DrDevience 7/4/2007

    No. You are not suckering me in this time. I mean it. Not gonna succumb...

  • Aly Adair 7/2/2007

    LMAO at LMAO - I never knew there was a difference. Great information. Thanks.

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