Come trade with us!
Guest contribution by Kathy Tycholis
The 3rd Annual Artist Trading Card Exhibition at the Richmond Art Gallery takes place September 11 to November 14, 2008.
Last year, over 100 participants exhibited and attended the closing party and Trading Session for an exciting evening of socializing, sharing ideas, and trading. This year we are introducing themes for the ATC exhibition as well as workshops, artist talks, and extra Trading Sessions.
Don't miss out! Send in your ATC submissions by August 22! ATC Workshops (supported by Opus) are also featured each month, including a special workshop by ATC pioneer Anna Banana. Visit www.richmondartgallery.org for submission and registration details. Join us at the Richmond Art Gallery for the Closing Celebration and Trading Session.
What are ATCs?
Artist Trading Cards (ATCs) are original, miniature works of art that are made for trading. There is no restriction in medium or theme, but they must follow the size restriction of 3.5" x 2.5". ATCs are intended to be a non-commercial, non-hierarchical art form engaging artists in a dynamic, interactive social network through trading.
The roots of ATCs are linked to the Fluxus movement of the 1960s and the Mail Art movement of the 1970s. Fluxus promoted artistic experimentation and positive social and community connections through collaborative or interactive projects. Mail Art emerged in the early 1970s as the non-commercial exchange of creative ideas, correspondance and images in mailable formats. Many artists from the Mail Art movement of the 1970s, such as Canadian artists Chuck Stake and Anna Banana, became involved with Artist Trading Cards in the late 1990s as an extension of Mail Art.
The first Artist Trading Cards are attributed to Swiss artist M. Vanci Stirnemann who produced a catalogue of 1200 hand-made cards in 1996. His cards were exhibited in Zurich in 1997, and he invited anyone who wanted one of his cards to create their own to trade during the closing reception of his exhibition. Many artists in attendance at this event were inspired to start ATC Trading Sessions in their own communities. Since then, interest in ATCs and Trading Sessions has spread to most cities around the world.
ATCs at the RAG
The Richmond Art Gallery has held monthly ATC Trading Sessions since late 2005, and has had two Annual ATC Exhibitions. Trading Sessions attract Richmond, Delta, and Vancouver ATC enthusiasts of all ages, from children to seniors. The ATC Exhibition garners submissions from all over the world, and people from all over BC participate in the Closing Trading Session for a social celebration of artistic exchange.
ATC Exhibitions not only display artworks, but encourage an interactive exchange in which the audience becomes active participants. On the closing celebration, visitors and participating artists are asked to select a work from the wall and replace it with a work of their own creation. To encourage an egalitarian approach, no submission fees are charged, all works received are guaranteed exhibition, and the works will be traded and returned to you if you are unable to attend the Trading Session in person. We hope you will join us!
Opus Customer Service: