Poetry Postcard Fest 2024
Client: Paul E. Nelson, Cascadia Poetics LAB, Seattle, WA
Timeline: April 2024
Format: 8.5 x 11 poster
Overview: The Poetry Postcard Fest 2024 poster was designed to invite participation in an annual, international poetry exchange rooted in spontaneity, constraint, and community. Participants compose and mail a series of original postcard poems over a fixed period, turning everyday correspondence into a distributed, collective artwork. The poster needed to clearly explain the project while embodying the tactile, handmade spirit of postcard culture.
Design Approach: The visual system draws directly from the material language of postcards and mail art. Roughened paper textures, airmail borders, cancellation marks, stamps, and uneven ink effects establish an immediate connection to physical correspondence. Photographic and collaged artworks appear within individual postcard frames, reinforcing the idea of each card as a self-contained poetic gesture rather than a single background image.
Layered imagery and mixed typographic styles balance clarity with visual richness, allowing the poster to function both as an informational piece and as an expression of the Fest’s experimental, participatory ethos.