WELCOME to ATCs IN THE CLASSROOM!
The purpose of this site is to provide a forum and gallery for teachers interested in discussing and exchanging artist trading cards (atcs) between classrooms.
Since their birth in 1997 in Switzerland, Artist Trading Cards have become something of a cultural phenomena with ATC trading sessions now taking place in cities and towns around the globe.
This site focuses on both the creative and learning possibilities of ATCs in the classroom. Whether you're new to ATCs or an experienced trader, everyone is welcome to join in the fun!
WHAT ARE ARTIST TRADING CARDS?
Artist Trading Cards (ATCs) are miniature works of art, usually done on card stock, that are traded between artists. They can be about anything and made with any media, materials, or techniques. They can be produced as one-of-a-kind originals, in limited editions, or in a series based on a particular theme or subject. It’s all up to the individual artist. The rules for ATCs are simple.
ATCs must:
- measure 2.5 x 3.5 inches (64 X 89 mm).
- be traded for other cards—not sold.
- be flat enough to fit into a plastic trading card sleeve.
- be signed and dated on the back of the card.
A SHORT HISTORY OF ARTIST TRADING CARDS
Artist Trading Cards have been around for less than a decade. Yet, their historical roots can be traced back to the Mail Art and Fluxus movements of the 1960s, and even earlier to the Dadaist movement of the 1920s.
Swiss artist M. Vänci Stirnemann first developed the concept of Artist Trading Cards in 1996, when he decided to document his activities with other artists by producing a catalogue of 1,200 cards he created by hand. He exhibited the cards at his bookstore gallery in Zürich in May 1997. On the last day of the exhibit, Stirnemann invited anyone who wanted a card to create their own ATC to trade during the closing reception.
Canadian artist Chuck Stake (aka Don Mable) attended Stirnemann’s exhibition that May and also participated in a Trading Session while in Zürich. Stake became very enthusiastic about ATCs and collaborated with Stirnemann to stage “The First International Biennial of Artist Trading Cards” at The New Gallery in Calgary, Canada that included 80 artists from 10 different countries. Since then, with the help of the Internet, interest in ATCs has spread around the globe.
Many artists who make ATCs use the Internet to display their cards and to locate others willing to trade cards by mail or to share ideas. However, organized face-to-face ATC sessions are, by far, the preferred means of meeting other artists and trading cards. Today, you will find ATC swap sessions happening in most major cities around the world.
