For next year's La Fiesta, Carla Donson and artist Rachael Garland have an idea.
"This is an exhibition space," says Rachael, referring to her studio / gallery / workspace called Magpie Studio, situated in the Bridge Block of Victoria Ave. "Magpie is morphing into running events — having opening nights and being open to the public for the short term: it's not an ongoing gallery / shop."
She officially opened Magpie in October last year.
"The plan was, for La Fiesta ... we could do a call-out to the general public to send in, anonymously, love letters that they've never written," says Rachael. It's for La Fiesta, so there is a "women" theme, adds Carla.
"It could be letters TO women; letters ABOUT women; letters FROM women," she says.
They both say men are perfectly entitled to send in their love letters, as long as the "women" theme is respected. And, as they're anonymous, they can be quite raw, says Rachael.
"When you think of love letters you never wrote, there's often pain involved. The ability to say something you've never been able to say to someone — in writing, anonymously, sending it out."
There is a stipulation — the letters must be hand written so Rachael can display them.
"We want to encourage people to take the time to write letters and be really personal," says Carla.
While it is about the content of the letter, the added dimensions of handwriting and real paper add to the dramatic and artistic appeal of the message.
"We will receive these love letters and I'm inviting a group of women artists to visually respond to the same idea of a love letter I never wrote," says Rachael. "There will be art and text on display."
"We've all, I think, at different times in our lives, faced unrequited love, or had a loved one in our family that maybe we wished we'd written more letters to: a grandmother, an aunt, even our own parents if they've lived on the other side of the world — those things we didn't get a chance to say; people who have now died. It doesn't have to be romantic love," says Carla. Although it could be. "It could be about a pet that's gone over the rainbow bridge."
Carla adds that it could be to a brilliant teacher you never had a chance to thank or say what they meant to you.
"It could be a letter to yourself," says Rachael.
"I think there are people who grew up with letter writing but have got out of the habit," says Carla.
"I'm looking forward to seeing how vulnerable people can become, knowing it's anonymous," says Rachael.
The exhibition of art and letters will be in February. It will be called "Letters from the heart: a love letter I never wrote".
Letters can be mailed — in an envelope, with a stamp — to The Women's Network, PO Box 568, Whanganui 4541.
Letters must arrive at The Women's Centre no later than December 10.
