SLOMA hosts trading card exhibit

An Artist Trading Card exhibit opened yesterday at the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art (SLOMA), which displayes miniature pieces of art in the form of trading cards created by artists from all over the Central Coast.

However, these trading cards — known as ATCs in the art community — are unlike the classic prototype as they do not feature baseball players or Pokémon characters. ATCs are miniature pieces of art that can consist of anything the artist wants — the cards can be drawn or painted, cut and pasted, portraits or landscapes and everything in between.

SLOMA exhibition coordinator Patrick Terjak said the ATCs play a representative role in the artistic community.

“(The cards) represent a subculture of the artist world,” Terjak said.

ATCs can be traded on the Internet or at live trading sessions organized by artists in the same areas. The cards are the same size as commercial trading cards, 2.5-by-3.5 inches, which makes them easy to mail to fellow artists.

SLO Co. ATC Traders — a local group for ATC artists and traders in the San Luis Obispo area — brought this exhibit to SLOMA. This local group is part of a larger trend that began in Switzerland in 1997. The movement gained popularity via the Internet and now hundreds of people from all over the world are creating and trading ATCs.

Yvonne Helms is an ATC artist and member of the SLO Co. ATC Traders group. Helms stumbled upon the idea of ATCs while browsing the Internet and has been hooked ever since.

According to Terjak, thematic work is a common occurrence in the world of ATCs. One artist comes up with a theme and pitches it to their network of ATC trading partners. Each artist creates their own ATCs with the theme in mind and share their work at the end.

Some artists even build upon the ATCs they receive by deconstructing, reassembling or connecting the pieces of art.

Earth science senior Nate Lewis said he had never heard of ATCs, but liked the idea, and wanted to brainstorm a theme of his own.

“My theme would be things that rhyme,” he said.

The exhibit, which will be open through January 31, is located in the Nybak Wing of SLOMA. The space — which is usually a classroom — is also used specifically for local artists to showcase their work.

Assistant director of the Museum of Art Muara Johnston said SLOMA likes to feature artistic work that the general public would like.

“If it is something we feel would be interesting to the public and beneficial for the group, we give them the space for free,” Johnston said.

In addition to the exhibition, a reception will take place on Friday at 6 p.m. to give San Luis Obispo residents the opportunity to meet the ATC artists and learn more about the art form.