A lovely look at other people's favorite mail

An exhibition overflowing with inspired invitations gathered directly from the designers, printers, and book artists who produce them.

The show's curators believe that a beautiful invitation is a gift to one's guests, a party favor inadvance. And (even in San Francisco!) no one understands this social ritual better than Alyson Storch and Thomas Ingalls, the curators. Ms. Storch, an expert on matters philatelic (stamp stuff) and the art of correspondence, represents Crane Business Papers in the Pacific Northwest. Mr. Ingalls, of the well-known design firm Ingalls + Associates and an associate professor at California College of Arts and Crafts (CCAC), began his San Francisco career by attending the best party ever ­ the handsomely-designed magazine Rolling Stone.

This exhibition really began with the call for entries. The curators invited several hundred creative design firms and book artists to submit invitations. The responses ­ overwhelming ­ selected for the exhibit include business as well as social events, and innovative formats as well as traditional.

RSVP reflected the diverse creative energy found in the book arts and design world ­ ranging from sculptural pop-ups to mail art to exquisite printing. Whether for a performance, awedding, or the turn of the millennium, aterrific invitation can set great expectations from the moment it arrives. The envelope, type, inks, perfect postage ­ these details are the visual appetizers that pique the palate for the main event. Whether a party-giver, party-goer, or bon voyeur, these creations can inspire everyone's everyday correspondence and social graces.

About the curators

Alyson Storch is the Pacific Northwest representative for Crane Business Papers. She is aboard member of the San Francisco chapter of the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA/SF). Pre-Crane, Alyson worked in Chicago for Paper Source, where one of her favorite responsibilities was teaching workshops, The Art of Letters and Anatomy of an Envelope, which is how she met some of her best Chicago friends (and received some of her best Chicago mail). Pre-Chicago, she lived in Atlanta, where she was Director of Marketing at Dickson's, Inc., ahighly-designerly printer. She loves sending mail, especially selecting postage, and frequently hand-folds envelopes before breakfast. Since January 1997, she has been stewarding AIGA/SF's philatelic alphabet project, about which she was thrilled to speak in June 1998 at the U.S. Postal Service's annual conference on stamp design. RSVP is her first curatorial undertaking.

Thomas Ingalls’ first job was as a staff designer at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. After four years of creating exhibit invitations, brochures and posters, he opened a studio in L.A. with Roger Black. Three adjective-packed years later, he followed Roger to San Francisco to work for Rolling Stone. In 1978, Tom started his own firm, Ingalls and Associates, to pursue his love of book design and arts-related projects. In 1980, he joined the faculty of California College of Arts and Crafts, where he has taught book design for 18 years and is now an associate professor. His design clients range from small wineries to big-time publishers, from literary journals to major communications companies. His designs have been recognized in many industry competitions and exhibitions. He met Alyson while working on the AIGA/SF's Local Flavor keepsake book last autumn, and his philatelic palate was piqued. He now spends far too much time at the Potrero Hill post office, hand-cancelling his correspondence.

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