A multimedia exhibit at The Free Library of Philadelphia is showcasing more than 20 years of postcards from the public to the U.S. president – all typed on a vintage typewriter by artist Sheryl Oring as part of her I Wish to Say project.
Secretary to the People: Sheryl Oring Uses a Typewriter to Activate Democracy with Art on the Streets of Philly and Beyond is now open and will be on display through Wednesday, April 30, at the First Floor Gallery West of the Parkway Central Library. The exhibition will display two decades of messages – a selection of the nearly 5,000 postcards in Oring’s archive – from people in Philadelphia and across the country, offering visitors a poignant reflection on the evolving hopes, fears, and expectations of the nation.
Since 2004, Oring has transformed parks, libraries, schools, and streets into makeshift offices. Dressed as a 1960s secretary, she invites people to dictate messages to the president, which she types verbatim on postcards using a vintage typewriter. Participants are photographed with a Polaroid camera and each postcard is typed using carbon paper to create two copies. One copy is sent to the White House, while the other is added to Oring’s archive. Oring was at the Parkway Central Library during November’s Election Day and several of the responses from local Philadelphia residents will be featured in the exhibit.
“Secretary to the People brings civic dialogue directly to public spaces like our own public library,” said Suzanna Urminska, Curator of Exhibitions at The Free Library of Philadelphia. “This collaboration between artist and library shows how both art and libraries can further civic discussion, engagement, and democracy.”
“It was in Philadelphia that free expression and other fundamental rights were enshrined in our Constitution. Now, in this exhibition, visitors can see how that essential freedom lives on through two decades of people speaking their minds to our presidents,” adds Oring. “Each postcard is a testament to the enduring spirit of civic engagement in the city where American democracy was born.”
Secretary to the People will be open to the public at the Parkway Central branch of The Free Library of Philadelphia, at 1901 Vine Street, during regular library hours. For more information, visit libwww.freelibrary.org
