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The Ampersand Project

You & …..

Through hundreds of works of art, The Ampersand Project will explore the ways each of us can interpret something as direct as a written symbol like the humble ampersand (&).

Being that "&" means "and," we feel like it's the perfect character to symbolize an exchange that connects you and another person. Make a simple image that interprets this unique piece of our letter-set and we'll send you the work of another participant in exchange.

Sign up and you'll get your project kit in the mail, including the rule card and the gesso board provided by our friends at Ampersand® artists panels on which to create your work. We'll also be digitizing and sharing the results with the world in an online exhibition.

Please note, shipping is FREE in the United States. For international particpants, $8.00 will be added for shipping, but that includes your project kit and the swap too!

Please see the tabs below for more details and the official rules.

  • Participants: 207
  • Postmark by: February 15, 2014
  • Theme: Ampersand

Rules

  • The subject of your work should be an ampersand (&).
  • You must use the 5x7 Gesso board provided for this project. It's like an experiment and that material is the control - if everyone keeps that part the same, then your interpretions will shine through all the better!
  • You will receive your swap in the mail once the project is closed and the submission deadline has passed. Your swap will be totally random, so look forward to getting some art from a stranger!
  • The online exhibition will be posted after the submission deadline has passed and all of the art work has had a chance to be digitized. We'll notify you by email once it's up, so you'll be able to share your awesome work and check out the other particpants!
  • The boards are great for acrylic and oil paint, sketching, and could be used as a base for a mixed media piece. The materials you use are up to you, but please do not use any materials that are toxic, hazerdous, may damage the work of others, and absolutely no glitter bombs.

Please postmark your work by: February 15th, 2014. All work should be mailed to:

Brooklyn Art Library
℅ The Ampersand Project
103A North 3rd Street
Brooklyn, NY 11249

& just so you know...

Take inspiration from this gem of knowledge on Wikipedia:

Traditionally, in English-speaking schools when reciting the alphabet, any letter that could also be used as a word in itself ("A", "I"…) was preceded by the Latin expression "per se." It was also common practice to add the "&" sign at the end of the alphabet as if it were the 27th letter, pronounced "and." As a result, the recitation of the alphabet would end in "X, Y, Z, and per se and". This last phrase was routinely slurred to "ampersand" and the term had entered common English usage by 1837.

Read the whole entry about ampersands here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ampersand