Postcards from Summer Camp

This is part of my Remember Me series of art and it is my first triptych. I could not separate the siblings.

Each of the cigar box lids is dedicated to one of three siblings and represents their time at summer camp. The art is on display through the Visual Art League of Allen in the Summertime Nostalgia exhibit.

Summer Camp Postcards

I purchased a bag of summer camp postcards online. They are all written by 3 siblings (Lisa, Elliot and Jeremy). The postcards have postmark dates as well as the address of the family home. I did go briefly down the rabbit hole of tracking down the mother and father. But I decided if I continued, I’d become too attached as well as distracted from my original goal: make meaningful art.

I’ve typed up each of the postcards just as they were written for ease in reading in this blog:

“Dear Mom and Dad I’m having a great time at camp. I see Jeremy and Elliot alot and the food and the dessert is good. For sports I have volleyball five day a week and I love it. Jeremy has it also ofcourse my team always wins. Love, Lisa”

“Dear Mom and Dad,

I’m having a good time at camp. My friends are Baird, Josh, Marc, Scott, Ira, Kevin, Danniel, Jordon, and Stuart. I’m swimming in a good class. My groups are camping, nature, and photography. I hope I can see you soon? Love, Elliot.”

“Dear mom and dad,

I am having lots of fun here. I have a top bunk bed. I like the swimming pool here. In nature we do many things. Love Jeremy”

School Photos

In a moment of weakness, I purchased a couple small bags of school photos. They were a great price and when I saw the photos of the children, it became my duty to save them. For this project, I chose photos of 2 little boys and a girl to represent the children who wrote the postcards from summer camp.

Cigar Box Lids

These were given to me by my Uncle George. I painted each of them and then hand wrote the words “Remember Me” on the inside of the lids. It is meant to mimic the penmanship exercises children practiced in school.

For one of the lids, I intentionally ran out of room and extended the words “Remember Me” on the sides of the box. This is something I would have done as a kid – find a way to squeeze a word into a small space.

I drilled holes on the sides of the cigar box lids then wove embroidery thread through the holes. I kept the thread taut and found that plucking three different strings resulted in a nice “Re-mem-ber” “me” tune. Admittedly, temperature changes have caused the strings to change tune – all I have is the memory of how they should sound. This adds more layers of charm and meaning.

Trinkets & Toys

I tried to decorate each of the cigar boxes with items that I imagine a child would own. Plastic toys, wooden blocks, an HO-scale swimming pool (Tore Bellis made it for me). I used vintage food nutrition cards to represent what the children would have eaten at summer camp. I also printed my own food cards (the bologna and piece of bread). The National Dairy Council still produces the nutrition cards but now makes them available as PDF files.

The outcome of using all the tchotchkes is reminiscent of a shadowbox or a child’s pencil box.

Keys

I included a key on each of the cigar box lids. The key is meant to represent the children’s house key. A childhood home is something that is generally dear and precious, full of memories. It is a place you can always return to. But in this instance, the family home they remember is gone and so are the people. (I say this in a figurative way, physically the structure is still present but belongs to someone else).

I have filled my cigar box lids with strangers’ summer camp postcards, children’s toys, old photos and keys to represent home. But where is home?

I leave it up to the viewer to resolve this matter.

These pieces are on display in the Summertime Nostalgia exhibit from June 14 – August 20th. Visit the VALA Gallery at The Cotton Mill. 610 Elm Street, McKinney, TX 75693.

This 3-piece art has been hanging on my walls and while there is no personal connection to the people, photos, etc… it’s absolutely relatable. Feel a connection to the piece as much as I do? Contact me if you are interested in purchasing the 3-piece set.

I’m also open to the opportunity to make a custom piece using your children’s/grandchildren’s or your own childhood ephemera. It’s a great way to repurpose objects into meaningful art.