Artist Trading Card Workshop

The Southeast Branch of the Kansas City Public Library is hosting an Artist Trading Card Workshop on Saturday, October 10, from 1 PM to 4 PM. It's part of the library's Inktober series, so it fits right into that October drawing energy. The whole thing takes place in the Goppert Media Center, which is the same spot that houses the KC Digital Media Lab.

If you've never heard of Artist Trading Cards—or ATCs—they're exactly what the name suggests. They're small, original pieces of art, usually 2.5" x 3.5", that artists make to trade with one another. The beauty of them is that they're completely open: you can work in paper, fabric, wood, metal, or whatever else you've got on hand. Because they're so small, they're easy to carry around and build into a one-of-a-kind collection that you can keep or display. At the workshop, you'll make your own card and then swap it with other artists in the room, so you walk away with something new that you didn't make yourself.

The library provides the supplies, so you don't need to bring your own kit to get started. It is, however, an RSVP event, so you'll want to sign up ahead of time rather than just showing up. The Southeast Branch is located at 6242 Swope Parkway, right across from Swope Park and the Kansas City Zoo. It's a spot with a deep collection in African-American literature, urban fiction, children's folklore and animals, and jazz, blues and gospel on CD. The branch moved here after Southeast High School originally housed the collection and staff later worked out of a kiosk in the Landing Mall; a 2018 renovation added meeting rooms, a children's area and the Goppert Media Center. The workshop runs from 1 PM to 4 PM on Saturday, October 10.