Secretary to the People : Civic Engagement through the Art of Sheryl Oring

For over 20 years, Sheryl Oring’s participatory art project 'I Wish to Say' has invited thousands of people to engage in direct, analog dialog with US presidents through typewritten postcards. As a self-styled "Secretary to the People," Oring sets up a public office and transcribes dictated messages to the White House, preserving a carbon copy for her growing archive. Secretary to the People chronicles the evolution of this groundbreaking project as well as subsequent projects that draw on a related framework. Blending Oring’s personal reflections, archival documentation, and new essays by artists, scholars, and collaborators, the book explores how analog tools can catalyze civic discourse in an increasingly digital world, offering a powerful meditation on democracy, dissent, and the role of art in public life. This book provides an in-depth look at how Oring helped define Social Practice art in the United States through her ground-breaking work with I Wish to Say. The case studies provide valuable examples for programs that want to incorporate social practice projects into their galleries and curricula. Oring’s practice hit an important milestone in 2024, the year she marked the 20th anniversary of I Wish to Say. The longevity of this one project demonstrates its profound cultural and artistic impact, making it a key resource for educators, students at both the undergrad and graduate levels, art historians, and artists alike. Its interdisciplinary reach into the topics of democracy and public participation will also make it of interest to those who work with civics, sociology, education, political science, library and museum practices, and other related disciplines. As both visual documentation and narrative exploration, this book makes a compelling case for the importance of art as a catalyst for civic participation and social change, at a time when all of our participation in democracy is imperative.