The Secret Postcard Project is the flagship social initiative of the Freshpaint art fair and has been running for over 15 years. As part of the project, more than 1,500 original postcards—created by renowned artists, professional and amateur creators, art students, and more—are showcased anonymously and sold online for a fixed price of 190 NIS as a donation.
The artist’s identity is revealed only when the postcard is collected at the fair, allowing buyers to discover whether their symbolic purchase is signed by a well-known creator or an emerging talent.
All proceeds from the postcard sales are fully donated to support the community.
Over the years, approximately 11,500 postcards have been sold as part of the project, including works by renowned international artists such as Jake and Dinos Chapman, Haim Steinbach, and Ron Arad. The initiative has raised over 2,000,000 NIS, which has been used to fund art education scholarships for children from underprivileged families.
This year, we continue to run the project in the shadow of the war that broke out in October 2023, with the sincere hope that Israeli society will be able to begin its recovery process. We dedicate this project to the victims of October 7th and collaborate with the Israeli Children’s Fund – Atufim B’Ahava non-profit organization. The organization was founded to support children who were orphaned as a result of the October 7th massacre. Through financial and professional support, the Israeli Children’s Fund (ICF) organization works to ensure the children have a secure future where they can live resilient and fulfilling lives despite the trauma and loss they have faced.
The Israeli Children’s Fund – Atufim B’Ahava: The Israeli Children’s Fund (ICF), also known as Atufim B’Ahava, is a non-profit organization that was established just days after the October 7 events by business and tech industry leaders to provide support for 470 children who lost one or both of their parents in the most devastating massacre in Israel’s history. These children endured unimaginable trauma, witnessing their parents’ murders while hiding for hours without assistance. Many also lost additional family members, friends, and teachers. Most were forced to leave their homes and have not yet returned. Many of the murdered parents were the primary financial anchors of their families. Alongside the trauma and loss, surviving family members now face complex financial realities, adding another layer of challenges.
The goal of the Israeli Children’s Fund (ICF) is to enable every child to have the resources to not only survive but to live fulfilling and meaningful lives, despite their unimaginable adversity. The organization does this through two main support systems:
1. Economic Support – The ICF aims to provide each child with an economic support package of up to 700,000 NIS, which will accompany them from infancy throughout their childhood, adolescence, and until young adulthood. This support is offered through a targeted grant mechanism focused on three main areas: rehabilitation and resilience, education, and life milestone grants events.
2. Professional Support – The ICF functions as an integrative body, providing information about rights and opportunities, as well as guidance and counseling in life’s decision-making moments. The professional support includes guidance from a social worker on behalf of the association, partnerships with organizations to provide services according to each child’s unique needs, and assistance through advanced technological means.
Postcards will only be sent by mail once. If your postcards do not arrive, you can collect a new kit from one of the collection points until February 28.
Finished postcards should be sent approximately two weeks after receiving them, and no later than the end of March. If you prefer not to rely on mail services, you can bring the postcards to one of our pickup points. Participation in the project is limited, and we cannot guarantee acceptance of postcards received after March.
If the registration form is closed, you can visit one of the pickup points, provided that the completed postcards reach us by the end of March. We recommend calling ahead to check if kits are still available at the pickup points.
Participation in the project grants each artist a single-entry ticket to the fair, regardless of the number of postcards donated. The ticket is valid for one entry on any day during fair opening hours. Entry to the opening events requires a separate ticket.
A single-entry ticket for participating in the project will be sent to the email address you used to register shortly before the fair opens to the public. It may arrive a day before the opening. Please contact us about tickets only after the fair has officially opened.
The Secret Postcard Project is a volunteer initiative aimed at raising funds for art education. Uploading postcards to the online store involves a complex and lengthy technical process (scanning, uploading, quality control, etc.). In recent years, the number of postcards in the project has grown significantly, so only about half of them can be uploaded online.
The Secret Postcard Project includes over 1,500 postcards submitted by hundreds of artists. Due to the large volume and the fact that this is a volunteer project and not an exhibition, we unfortunately cannot provide individual updates about each postcard. Unsold postcards will be donated to the organization receiving the project’s proceeds.
