Do Da Post: Fishing Lures & More Exhibit Opening

Saturday, August 26, 6-9pm

EF Higgins III: Doo Da Post – Fishing Lures & More Opening Reception

Elberta Heritage Center, 704 Frankfort Avenue, Elberta

This exhibition features a wide-ranging selection of Higgins’ work, including his internationally recognized Doo Da Post artist stamps, colorful Fishing Lure Paintings, striking Firecracker Label Paintings, and original portraits. Together, the works offer visitors a glimpse into more than five decades of artistic exploration fueled by curiosity, humor, and a fascination with the visual language of ordinary life.

Growing up outside Chicago, Higgins was an inveterate maker—building model airplanes, tree houses, mini bikes, and carving rubber stamps long before pursuing formal art studies. After earning a B.A. from the University of Colorado and an M.F.A. in painting and printmaking in 1976, he became immersed in the emerging Mail Art movement, creating his whimsical Doo Da Post stamps that have been exchanged and exhibited by artists around the world.

The fictional nation of “Doo Da” was born from Higgins’ belief that every postage stamp needed a country and a denomination. “Doo Da” provided the country, while the familiar “3P” offered a value of three pennies. Using hand-carved stamps, printmaking techniques, photocopying, painting, and collage, Higgins transformed the humble postage stamp into a unique art form that challenged traditional ideas about galleries, commerce, and artistic exchange.

Visitors to the opening reception will have the opportunity to stamp their own postcards, experiment with printmaking, and learn more about the remarkable creative journey that has made EF Higgins III a respected figure in the international mail art community.

The opening reception is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served.