The Coastal Arts Guild invites the public to participate in a free community art event! "Past, Present, Future: U.S. at 250" will be a 3-day exhibit over the 4th-of-July weekend in the gazebo at Newport's Don and Ann Davis Park, featuring art and writing on the theme of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Anyone can send a postcard with their original art and/or writing on the topic of the United States of America's past, present and future. Postcards received will be displayed in the gazebo July 3-5, 10am-6pm, and all entries will be scanned for a parallel online exhibit.

"Last year, we held a similar mail-art event, and the Coastal Arts guild received over 260 postcards (and some multi-paged entries---they only need to fold to 5" by 7") created by community members and also from people from across the country and even across the oceans. They included a range of work, including fine art, children's drawings, and personal stories," said Carol Shenk, Coastal Arts Guild president.

"Our goal is to invite people to express themselves. All viewpoints are welcome, and entries can be anonymous. America's 250th is being recognized by many organizations as well as by government agencies, but it can mean different things to different people. The idea of Past, Present, Future is to invite folks to consider and share what the 250th birthday of the United States means to them individually. Responses might be personal, political, historical, aspirational...in the form of images or writing/poetry."

Send postcards (dimensions up to 5" x 7"): Past, Present, Future c/o CAG, PO Box 603, Newport, OR, 97365. Submissions must be received by July 1 to be included in the exhibition. Email coastalartsguild@gmail.com with questions.

For details and tips on sending postcards the exhibition, and to view images from last year's mail-art event, visit postcardstothefuture.org, which is also where the online exhibition will be posted, coincident with the pop-up exhibition in the Don and Ann Davis Park gazebo. We look forward to another year of community art!