I Was Here: Postcards from the Pandemic

I Was Here: Postcards from the Pandemic aims to highlight, recognize and honor Carolina’s hardworking staff by providing space for private processing through artistic expression. Brought to you by the Staff Advisory Committee to the Chancellor (STACC), UNC Human Resources, University Libraries and UNC Arts Everywhere, this creative postcard project will launch on March 1. 

The Project

Staff can use provided materials to design, write, decorate, or create a postcard in whatever manner they choose and in-person workshops will be made available at locations across campus. Submitted postcards will be included in a special exhibit on Arts Everywhere Day on April 8, 2022. After the exhibit, postcards will be preserved in the University Archives.

There are no guidelines or requirements as to what can be on each postcard. We hope you will use these postcards as a means of free expression. Doodles, collages, self-reflections, and messages to a loved one, a friend, or a stranger are all encouraged. Full freedom of expression is encouraged and participants have the option to submit postcards anonymously.

How to Participate

All UNC staff are encouraged to participate and there is no limit to how many postcards can be submitted. To make this project accessible to as many staff members as possible, individuals and teams may access virtual resources, request take-home kits or participate in person through workshops during the month of March.

In-person 

  • Workshops at creative spaces (individuals or teams)

  • Postcards-To-Go Workshops (larger teams)

  • Pop Up Events 

    • UNC Human Resources Wellness Day Fair
      • Friday, March 18 from 11 am – 2 pm at the Carolina Union
      • Stop by and design a postcard at the Arts Everywhere table! Markers, colored pencils and other decorating material will be provided so you can contribute your “I was here” postcard to the “Postcards from the Pandemic” project.
      • Learn more about Employee Wellness Day
    • Wilson Library Pop Up
      • Monday, March 21 from 11 am – 1 pm
      • Participants can view and draw inspiration from the North Carolina Postcards Collection to decorate and design their postcards. Art supplies and copies of collection material will be provided. Participants are also invited to sign up to share their Carolina Story for the UNC Story Archive.
      • Location: Wilson Library, in the Special Collections Learning Center (room 504) just off the lobby on the main floor
      • Registration encouraged. Register for the Wilson Library Pop Up here.
    • Health Sciences Library Pop Up

Take-home/Asynchronous

Virtual options  

How to return your postcard

Postcards will be collected through April 1, 2022 and will be exhibited on Arts Everywhere Day on April 8. After the exhibit, the postcards will be preserved in the University Archives. If you do not want to have your postcard preserved in University Archives, please attach a sticky note to your postcard upon submission.

Postcards contributed to the University Archives will be preserved and made available to the public for use consistent with the mission of the University Libraries, including but not limited to exhibitions, public programs, documentary films, radio broadcasts and publications in all formats and media, including on the Internet.

*If you are unable to use campus mail and need to mail your postcard but do not have access to a stamp, stamps will be available for pickup at Morrison Art Studio.

Prizes

Three prizes will be awarded to employee units and/or teams with the highest percentage of postcard submission. These prizes, detailed below, include funds for the unit to use at their discretion as well as creative experiences curated for the winning teams.

  • 1st prize 

    • $1,000 team fund
    • $2,500 office space art budget
    • Team feature in The Well

  • 2nd prize

    • $750 team fund
    • Behind the scenes team tour at the Ackland Art Museum

  • 3rd prize

    • $500 team fund
    • Private mini-concert by student musical ensemble for team

Additional Resources

Ackland Art Museum

Since 1958, The Ackland Art Museum has been one of North Carolina’s most important cultural resources. They serve broad local, state, and national constituencies as a unit of The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The Museum’s permanent collection consists of more than 19,000 works of art, featuring North Carolina’s premier collections of Asian art and works of art on paper (drawings, prints, and photographs), as well as significant collections of European masterworks, twentieth-century and contemporary art, and North Carolina pottery. 

Check their calendar for upcoming events or view the Ackland’s collection online!

Morrison Art Studio

The Morrison Art Studio, a groundbreaking space located on the bottom floor of Morrison Residence Hall, provides students and all members of the campus community an opportunity to unleash their inner artist. The studio features free use of all the supplies you’ll need for painting and drawing and an MFA artist-in-residence who serves as a resource to all visitors. Open every day from 3-8 pm. 

For the latest Morrison Art Studio news, details on upcoming events and programs, and DIY art tips, join the Morrison Art Studio listserv.

Kenan Science Library Makerspace

The ‘Design & Modeling’ part of the Kenan Science Library Makerspace is located in the library and is available to all when the library is open. Visit the KSL website to see the list of the ‘crafting’ materials they have available to the campus. The Kenan Science Library is located on the ground floor of Venable Hall (G301) – right off the courtyard between Venable & Murray Halls.

University Mental Health Resources 

The Postcards from the Pandemic team is committed to accessibility. If you require special accommodations for a workshop or if you need any materials in an alternate format or language, please contact us at artseverywhere@unc.edu.

Need to download a flyer to share with your unit?

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