Artist Trading Cards (ATC)
Next session is Sunday March 9,
noon - 1pm.
What are Artist Trading Cards?
Artist Trading Cards (ATC) are tiny works of art (2 1/2" x 3 1/2")
that are made to trade. There are no restrictions of medium or theme, materials
range from collage, drawing and painting, glass, ceramic and metal to fabric
and melted wax to computer-generated imagery and photography, the possibilities
are endless! ATC’s are intended to be a non-commercial, non-hierarchical
avenue for artistic exchange. Cards are traded one for one and all people
of all ages and artistic abilities can participate.
A little history…
The original concept was developed by Swiss artist m. vanci
stirnemann, who wanted to make a catalogue to document his activities
with other artists. Because the cost of printing a catalogue in hockey-card
format was prohibitive, he decided in 1996 to produce 1,200 cards by
hand. This led to the first exhibition of Artist Trading Cards in April
1997. During the show, visitors were encouraged to produce their own
cards to trade with stirnemann and others at the closing reception. From
then on, a Trading Session has taken place at INK.art&text on the
last Saturday of every month. Canadian artist, Don Mabie (aka Chuck
Stake) was in Zurich, Switzerland to experience the first Artist Trading
Card Session in 1997. He brought the idea back to Canada and on September
27, 1997, the first trading session took place in Canada at Calgary’s
The NEW Gallery. From that point, ATC groups started trading around
the world! After meeting Don Mabie and m. vanci stirnemann in Calgary
in 2000, Vancouver-based artist, Bill Thompson, brought ATC’s to
Vancouver. Thompson initiated a monthly trading session at The
Grind & Gallery Coffee Bar on the third Sunday of the month. Other
Lower Mainland groups that trade ATC’s are on the Sunshine Coast
and in Port Moody, Maple Ridge and now Richmond!
For more information about how to get involved with the Richmond Art Gallery’s ATC trading sessions contact atc_at_rag@hotmail.com.
Websites to visit for more ATC information:
www.artist-trading-cards.ch
www.alternatorgallery.com
www.thenewgallery.org/atc
www.atcquarterly.com
Artist Trading Card Exhibition and Trading Event
took place at Richmond Art Gallery
Sep 9 - Oct 25, 2006
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Left: ATCs by Kathy Tycholis, Samantha Matheson, Judy McIntosh