Houston ATCs

The Columbus Center for the Paper and Book Arts is having a call for entries for Artist Trading Cards (ATCs) for its third gallery show this fall, “House of Cards II.” The exhibit is a follow up to its inaugural exhibit – House of Cards in 2005, that also focused on the emerging art of ATCs. It is one of the first ATC exhibits in the United States and the largest exhibit of ATCs in the world. ATCs are mixed media artworks that measure 2 1/2″ x 3 1/2″.

The deadline for the Call for Entries is Friday, August 18. The submission fee is $10 and may include up to five ATC entries. Entries must be original works. All submitting artists receive a special artist’s edition of the show poster and are featured/noted in the exhibition’s handbound catalogue.

ATCs and entry fees may be sent to: European Papers Ltd. ATC, 539 East Town St. – Carriage House, Columbus, OH 43215. Details and submission forms are online at www.europeanpapers.com. Click on the extended entry for more information…

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We are a group of ATC (art trading cards, or artist trading cards) enthusiasts who meet in person on the third Thursday of each month in Houston, Texas, at 7:30 p.m. More specifically, we meet at the Cafe Express on West Gray. We are an open group and everyone is welcome to attend

And just what are ATCs anyway? Arist trading cards are miniature pieces of art measuring 2.5 by 3.5 inches in size — in other words, they fit in a standard baseball card or trading card sleeve. ATCs can be any medium: paint, pencil, ink, collage, photography, digital, textile…. There are really only two “rules” in the world of ATCs: they must be 2.5 by 3.5 inches (three-dimensional is OK too, but it’s preferred that they still fit in the sleeves), and they are meant to be traded, not sold.

ATCs have been described by some as “art for the people, by the people.” You do not need to be a professional artist. You do not need to be able to draw or paint (in fact, collage is an extremely popular medium for ATCs). This is meant to be non-stressful, no-pressure fun. For this reason, our Houston group is extremely informal. We get together once a month, trade cards, and hang out — that’s it. We don’t have restrictions, such as some groups do, such as minimum quotas of cards you’re expected to produce. We have no problem with photocopies or digital art, as some groups do. Each month we choose one or two optional (heavy emphasis on the optional) themes that people may use for inspiration. To find out the theme for any given month, click on the “themes” category link at the left.

In addition to this blog, we maintain a Yahoo group called “houstonATC.” This will allow you to e-mail other members of the group. Questions? Post a comment here or join the “houstonATC” yahoo group and ask away!

This is our band-new on-line presence and it is still under construction… please come back soon and check on the progress!