Visual Arts Brampton
Visual Arts Brampton is excited to present the Snail Mail World Postcard Art Show! Creative people from all corners of the world are invited to mail in or electronically submit postcard size 4x6 inch original artworks to be displayed on our Instagram page, in our galleries and for judging in our competition.
Originally started in 1999 as the "Great Canadian Mail Art Show", the show was expanded to its current postcard art format in 2003. Since its inception, well over 2,000 entries have been received from all corners of the globe. The show was re-launched in 2016 as a part of Visual Arts Brampton's 30th anniversary.
Show us your art and participate in the biggest international postcard art show in the world!
Take a look back at our past exhibits from 2017 and 2019.
Creating Your Postcard
Create your standard size postcards (4-by-6-inch) out of any mailable material.
- Entries may be of any medium and of any subject matter.
- Entries must be the entrant's own original artwork, or reproduction of the entrant's original artwork.
- Artists must select one entry category for judging per submission
- Artwork containing nudity, violence, hateful speech or any other content deemed inappropriate by our judges will be refused entry
- Maximum of 10 entries per artist
- Choose your method of delivery: Mailing Your Postcard or Electronic Submission
- On the back of your postcard, include your name, email, country of residence, title of the artwork, entry category for judging and age (if under 18 years old). Medium details and description of the work are optional. A link to your Instagram profile is also recommended.
- Entries should be sent as a postcard or in an envelope; all mailing arrangements and costs are the responsibility of the submitting entrant.
- Submitted postcards will not be returned and will remain the property of the Snail Mail World Postcard Art Show
Sample Postcard Back
Snail Mail Central
c/o Visual Arts Brampton
1 Bartley Bull Parkway, Suite 10
Brampton, ON
L6W 3T7
Canada
Scan or take a photograph of your physical postcard and following these submission guidelines:
- Image should be JPG or PNG only
- Image must be in rectangular format of 4 x 6 (portrait or landscape)
- Resolution must be 300 pixels per inch or higher
- Image must be high resolution for printing. Artworks will be printed at 4" x 6" to be displayed physically as a part of the Snail Mail Collection only
- For VAB website all electronic submissions will be reduced to low-resolution
- Photos of artwork should have good lighting and be in focus, sharp, and clear
- Photo of artwork should be taken straight on (no angles) and cropped to the artwork with no extra backgrounds or embellishments
- A Google account is required to submit electronically through our form
You may submit up to 10 entries. All entries will be judged independently of each other and not as a body or collection of works. Entries arriving after the due date will be considered in the following year's Snail Mail show. Entries must arrive at Snail Mail Central by December 31, 2021 to be considered for this year's judging.
Only the front panel of the postcard will be judged. If both sides of the postcard have artwork, judges and curators will use their discretion to pick what they think is the best side. Entries containing offensive and/or sensitive material will be omitted.
Entry Categories:
- Digital Art
- Drawing
- Mixed Media
- Painting
- Photography
- Youth (under 18 years old)
Entries will be judged by our panel of artists and curators and one postcard from each category will be selected for the Best in Category award. Entries will also be placed on our website during the judging period to be voted on by the general public for the People's Choice Award.
The winning entries from Best in Category and the People's Choice Award will then be judged to select the top three for the Best in Show category.
Prizes
Prizes will be awarded to the top three entries from the Best in Show. The prizes are as follows:
- First Place: $100 CDN
- Second Place: $75 CDN
- Third Place: $25 CDN
Legal Notice
By submitting postcard artwork to the Snail Mail World Postcard Art Show owned by Visual Arts Brampton, you grant Visual Arts Brampton a perpetual, royalty-free license to use, reproduce, publish, distribute for the sole purposes of promoting Snail Mail World Postcard Art Show, including incorporating it in other promotional compilation works in any media. Visual Arts Brampton will not sell or profit from any submissions to the competition or be responsible for any works lost or damaged in transit. No image from this site may be used for any purpose without expressed written authorization.
