December 3, 2001

8:37 AM

I'll trade you two Picassos for three Monets. While Artist Trading Cards (ATCs) may not be worth millions of dollars at auction (yet), the idea is starting to catch on. Participants create 64 by 89 millimeter (hockey card size) works of art using any media they want. Instead of selling the cards, the artists (and others) then trade them at local ATC gatherings. An exhibition of over 5000 cards is currently taking place in my hometown of Medicine Hat, but if Medicine Hat is not your holiday destination of choice, you could always organize a trading session in your own neighborhood.
posted by iceberg273 (4 comments total)

A brief history of Artist Trading Cards.
Online ATC galleries: A | B
copy-left ATC editions are sort of like 20 things with Artist Trading Cards.
posted by iceberg273 at 8:38 AM on December 3, 2001

If the art is as ugly as their website, no wonder they're not worth millions.
posted by phoenix enflamed at 8:51 AM on December 3, 2001

Mighty cool. I made a couple of different card sets a few years ago, maybe this'll spur me to make another.
posted by mmarcos at 9:16 AM on December 3, 2001

i'm a big fan of artist trading cards, and it was definitely one of my inspirations for 20 things.
posted by judith at 9:57 AM on December 3, 2001