14 Local Artists to Immortalize Tacoma in Playing Cards

Tacoma artists are playing a game, a game of cards and hoping to win big with hometown pride. A poker-grade deck of cards with original illustrations of 52 Tacoma sites and stories by 14 local artists is in the works. Funds will be raised using the crowd sourcing phenomenon Kickstarter giving supporters the chance to make this great project a reality. The campaign will launch June 14th. A link to the project’s Kickstarter page will be available at www.tacomamakes.com as soon as it is live.

The look and style of this professional quality card deck was designed by letterpress artist Chandler O’Leary who illustrated and hand-lettered the card box, backs and face ranks creating an elegant platform into which the other artists’ original images will go. The deck seeks to tell the history, story, and the beauty of our town through this everyday item. 14 artists will each illustrate the 52 cards (and 2 jokers) with different locations from their own point of view and interpretation. Always wanted to be a joker? One of the Kickstarter rewards will allow you just that. You or a local hero of yours can be memorialized by lampoonist R.R. Anderson as one of 2 jokers in the deck.

The project is seeking $13,000 to support the design of the deck, artist fees, and production/printing costs necessary to produce a professional deck of cards suitable for serious Poker players and Go Fish players alike. By contributing early, investors can secure an inaugural deck (or several) and many other cool rewards such as a poster featuring all images of the cards, invitation to a VIP party, printer’s proof, and there is even a chance to order personalized decks suitable for corporate gifts. Financing raised this summer will put the deck into production so it will be available in November 2012 just in time for holiday giving. Decks will be available for sale in local gift shops and bookstores with the goal of placing them at Sea-Tac airport as well.

The 14 Tacoma artists participating include: Art Chantry, Audra Laymon, Brian Hutcheson, Britton Sukys, Chandler O’Leary, Chris Sharp, Elise Richman, Jessica Spring, Kristin Giordano, Lance Kagey, Meghan Mitchell, Otto Youngers, R.R. Anderson, and Shaun Peterson.

Updates and images will be posted as they become available through the Tacoma Makes website, a Tacoma Makes Facebook page, and Kickstarter from June 14th to July 19th when the campaign closes.

This is another great project. We hope that you’ll support it with us.