Both Robinson and Kellner are academics, married to people outside academia and the art world, and parents. The Checks and Balances project developed as a way to address the multiple roles each play in their respective lives and as a commitment to keep artmaking an active part of their identity.

The exhibition at MASS in Austin showcases the progress of Checks and Balances to date, several hundred mailed works on paper, each one approximately 8.5 inches by 11 inches. One side of the paper is a drawing while the other, a letter. The drawings address a wide variety of subject matter from abstract minimalism to realistic representations of Barbie dolls. The letters are often personal in nature, addressing the way their different identities cannot be neatly compartmentalized.

Additionally, some individual artworks from Robinson and Kellner are included, connecting the viewer with the reciprocal nature between their group work and individual output.