sheryl oring
Since 2004, Sheryl Oring has been traveling the country with her typewriter in hand, setting up a portable office in parks, flea markets and town squares and inviting passers by to dictate letters to the President. During the 2004 Republican National Convention in New York City, Oring's work caught the attention of the national media. Peter Jennings named her "Person of the Week" and profiled her on ABC’s World News Tonight, while papers ranging from the Washington Post to the Wall Street Journal reported on her work.
At a time when the political frenzy couldn't be greater, Oring managed to turn the conversation away from the politicians and bring it back to the voters. "I can think of no one else who has such a talent for capturing the essence of complex people and ideas, to render them unforgettable," said Anna Mulrine, Senior Editor, U.S. News & World Report. "It's an invaluable talent both in journalism, and art, helping drive home the personal impact of politics on the lives of everyday citizens."
In February 2008, Ann Arbor-based publisher Quack!Media released Oring's book I Wish to Say: The Birthday Project, featuring 49 cards to the President from people across the country, and portraits of the people who dictated them by photographer Dhanraj Emanuel. The cards were sent to the White House as part of a 2006 cross-country tour timed to the President's 60th birthday.
Oring travelled the country again in 2008, inviting people to dictate letters to the "next" President. She collected the cards and mailed them to the White House. I Wish to Say performances and exhibitions based on the cards and photos can be booked by contacting Jen and Amy (jenandamy@soapboxinc.com).
ABOUT THE PERFORMANCES
Cedar Nordbye, Assistant Professor of Art at the University of Memphis, described the impact of Oring’s performance: "When Sheryl Oring's brought her project I Wish to Say to the University of Memphis, she modeled for our students a kind of civic engagement that we so desperately need on our campus. Two years later, students still recall the project vividly, and some student projects have grown out of their exposure to that new kind of artistic practice, one that blends performance art with grass-roots activism."
ABOUT THE EXHIBITIONS:
Exhibitions based on this project may take various forms. Oring will work directly with host venues to create an exhibition that works in the space. Options include:
- Prints
Cards and photos may be printed at 8.5" x 11" or 11" x 14". Show size is variable, ranging up to 200 pairs of cards and photos. Space requirements range from 40 to 200 running feet. - Public displays
Images from the shows may be displayed on public transit placards, billboards, posters etc. Oring is also working on designs for posters and lawn signs based on quotes from the cards. - Display of originals
There are more than 1,000 original carbon copies of all cards created since 2004. - Plasma screens
A slide show of cards and photos can be displayed on large format plasma screens.
Sheryl Oring's most recent new project, “Creative Fix,” asked other artists and creative thinkers what they would do to fix the country if they could do anything. Starting at galleries in California, Oring is inviting artists of all types – writers, musicians, visual artists, architects etc. – to participate. Oring will make one-minute videos of participants’ answers and post them on YouTube. By doing so, Oring hopes to bring artists into the contemporary political debate. Artists, she said, can offer a fresh perspective on many of the most pressing issues of the day.
