U.S. Portal Service

The North Bay Bohemian has named the U.S. Portal Service “Best of the North Bay” -
Best Time Travel Device

Portal service

With the help of Anna Wiziarde and Julian Billotte, and an all ages team of Portal Professionals, I opened the first known Portal in Courthouse Square, Santa Rosa. Between September 4 and December 4, 2020, the public was invited to send their questions, grievances and love letters to the past or future via the golden mailbox. A cosmic response was issued to all participants and to those who provided a return address, the Portal Professionals team mailed responses.

The letters and responses were documented and shared on instagram: @United.States.Portal.Service

In a personal an unexpected twist, my estranged biological father contacted me a week after opening the Portal, and, as the responses came to a trickle after December 4, so did our correspondence.

Portal service recognized by the usps

Towards the end of the project, we were astounded to receive a cease and desist from the United States Postal Service, for infringement on USPS intellectual property. After months of honoring and dreaming about the USPS through this project, being contacted by them felt dizzying - like finally being noticed by your idol or dreamy crush. We took it as an incredible compliment, a love letter really, and responded accordingly. The exchange is below:

Cease and Desist | The Portal Service’s Response

highlights

Three months is a long time for a Portal to be open in a public space. It was skated on and over, used as an official ballot drop box, and bestowed with coins, pot and champagne corks when Biden’s victory was announced. It was tagged, tipped, and covered in flowers.

And over the course of the project, the Portal Service was honored to be featured in several publications:

• A golden mailbox in Santa Rosa accepts letters to the past and future, and sends responses, by Lily Janiak S.F. Chronicle

• Bay Area artists set out to honor the post office. Then they got a cease and desist order, by Lily Janiak, S.F. Chronicle

• Locavortex: Cosmic Correspondence by Ursa Born, Made Local Magazine

• This Golden Mailbox in Santa Rosa Allows You To Send Letters to The Past and Future by Grace Yarrow, Sonoma Magazine

resuming portal service

After several months out to pasture, the Portal is once again open for civic duty. We’ve teamed up with the Museum of Sonoma County, which happens to be housed in an Historic 1910 Santa Rosa Post Office and Federal Building. The Portal currently resides in the old Postmaster General’s office.

The public is invited to share personal stories and reflections about 2020. We’re also accepting nominations for objects, big and small, that the Museum should collect which represent or symbolize 2020. Reflections and object-nominations should be submitted through the golden mailbox inside the Museum, they will subsequently become part of the Museum of Sonoma County’s historical archives. Where possible, nominated objects will also become part of the Museum’s permanent collection.

The exhibit is open now, and will run through the end of 2021. Click HERE for more info.