In mid-2023, Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) commissioned me to develop a custom generative art postcard platform, designed to bridge browser-based art tools with real-world print fulfillment and e-commerce. The project was built to support generative artists who create interactive artworks using HTML Canvas and JavaScript, allowing them to integrate their custom apps into a larger system that could handle UI, asset capture, and physical delivery.
I built a modular framework that enabled artists to embed their canvas-based apps, complete with custom UI controls, into a larger interface. Once an artwork was generated by a user, clicking a single button captured the output from the canvas, uploaded the image to an AWS S3 bucket, and redirected the user to a React-based frontend. This second interface displayed a live preview of the physical postcard and handled the remaining steps of the process.
The backend connected seamlessly to Lob’s APIs for automated postcard generation and mailing, while payment processing was securely handled through Stripe. The entire workflow, from generative art to printed postcard, was designed to be smooth, fast, and user-friendly, making it possible for visitors to create and send one-of-a-kind artwork through the mail in just a few clicks.
This project not only highlighted the power of creative coding and generative art, but also demonstrated how browser-native tools can be extended into tangible, transactional systems with real-world impact. It supported both artistic experimentation and institutional engagement, offering a compelling model for interactive, print-on-demand experiences in museum contexts.
The first implementation of this project was with artist Jason Seife. A sandboxed experience of the react portion of the application is available here.
