Coming on the scene last year, the Tacoma Playing Cards are a
handheld exhibition and souvenir featuring 14 local artists illustrating 54
locations, icons and Tacoma stories. Through sales over the past
year, enough funds have been earned to create a second deck. Dubbed “The
Red Deck” by co-founders of Tacoma Makes Maija McKnight and Amy McBride, the
new deck of Tacoma Playing Cards will feature new artists and all different
Tacoma locations, icons and stories.
“We were thrilled at the positive response that the playing cards received last year” notes Maija McKnight “and are excited to be able to create a second deck of cards”. Fourteen artists have been invited to participate are already working to create their artwork, and estimated arrival of the cards will be in October 2013 along with an exhibition and opening celebration showcasing all of the original artwork. This second deck of cards will have a red box and back of the cards, with the same unique design (with some slight changes) that graced the blue deck of cards
Tacoma
artists participating include Rick Matthies, Sean Alexander, Karen Doten, Maria
Jost, Chuck Knigge, Noah Struthers, Mary Mann, Jeremy Mangan, Stan Shaw, Marit
Berg, Betty Ragan, Michaela Eaves, David Boe and Chandler O’Leary.
Chandler O’Leary is the designer of the playing card box and back of the cards
as well as the only artist that also participated in the inaugural blue deck of
cards.
Pre-sales
of the red deck of cards is available on the Tacoma Makes website as well as a
limited pre-order of an uncut sheet of the cards (22” x 26.5” in size) from the
US Playing Card Company. An uncut sheet is pulled straight off the
printing presses before being cut into a deck and is a unique collector’s item
as well as a great way to display all of the
cards. Additionally much of the original art from the Blue
Tacoma Playing Cards is still available as well as several that are available
for purchase in a giclee fine-art quality print.
Images
of the artwork will be posted as they are completed both on the Tacoma Makes
website as well as the Facebook fanpage.
They are amazing! Its been over 8 years since the last time I lived in Tacoma and before that I was there between 5th-10 grade and seeing these cards brings a piece of what I consider home to me closer. Thanks for making this deck, and would love to see another with other land marks. Like I said earlier my family and I love to play canasta so need many decks.
My name is Rembrandt, and I’m one of the backers who had two decks of the Tacoma Artist Playing Cards mailed to me. They arrived today, and I wanted to let you know that they look great! My wife and I pored over each card this evening. Not only did we thoroughly enjoy the artwork on the face of each card, but we were very impressed by the linework on the card backs and the general readability of the cards for play. Hooray!
Love the Tacoma Makes cards I got tonight. I've seen many of the images, but not all. Some really great cards in there! Also, very glad to see Tacoma's parks so well represented. :)
We are thrilled to have the Tacoma Playing Cards featured in the latest edition of South Sound Magazine! Love the opening line of the article-- Admit it Tacoma, you’re beautiful.
The cards are at the printer, we're expecting them back by the end of October and we're going to have a party!
Please join and help us celebrate the Tacoma Playing Cards!
Amocat Café – 625 Saint Helens Ave Friday, October 26, 7 -9 pm
See and purchase the original artwork Pick up your own deck of cards Claim your Kickstarter rewards Meet and greet with the artists Give-aways, snacks and no-host beer and wine
All ages welcome
Wow! We’ve reached and surpassed our goal of $13,000 (in six days!)!!!! Thanks to you! We are overwhelmed by the Tacoma community support and so thrilled to be able to bring this deck of cards into reality.
Thank you so much for your support of the Tacoma Playing Card Project!!!!
We set the fundraising goal at $13,000 based on the printing costs, artist fees, and other charges (including $1,300 Kickstarter and credit card processing fees). The way Kickstarter works is that the campaign will ‘run’ for the pre-set timeframe (until July 19). People are still hearing about this project and we still encourage them to contribute to the project to receive great rewards.
With money raised over the $13,000 threshold, we will: increase our print run to create additional decks of cards, host an even awesome-ER opening party at AMOCAT Café, add some additional reward items, as well as start to plan and contract artists for a second edition of Tacoma playing cards.
We’ve also received a few inquiries on the timing of the card production, specifically when people can expect to have them ‘in hand’. The artists are scheduled to submit final art by the end of July. It will take a week or so to format the work to conform to the printer’s guidelines, followed by 6-8 weeks for production. The cards will arrive 1st of November at the latest, but we’ll hope for earlier. We’re working on a central location where you’ll be able to pick-up your rewards, and if you need them shipped, we’ll provide an option for that as well.
Thanks again for your incredible support of this project – financially, sharing with your friends, and all the wonderful comments that you have shared with us and your own community. We are thrilled at the opportunity to bring this deck of cards into reality.
Eric
LeMay purchased the second joker of the Tacoma playing card project! Who the actual joker will be will be announced over the next few weeks, but in the
mean time you can visit the website and learn more about the foundation and
their incredible collection of vehicles: http://www.lemaymarymount.org/. Eric was one of the first supporters of this
project quickly claiming the printer’s proof sheet at the $250 reward level,
and just today adding the joker reward. Eric
noted about the project that “there isn't
enough local stuff in our gift shops. This (project) is a very good thing and I am happy
to see it has some tread marks out of the gate”.
We are delighted to announce that the first “Joker” to be memorialized in the inaugural Tacoma Playing Card Deck is WILD BILL JONES!!
Dyann Lyon states “On Father's Day I saw the news about your project and fell in love with what you (Amy) and Maija are up to. After reading about how I could support you I chose to contribute and give Wild the gift of the Joker. So bottom line, it is a gift from me to him and we are supporting your cause in the process. I hope that makes sense. It is an awesome way to support a new business, the city I was born in and we call home, Tacoma, the arts which I love and my dear husband, Wild, all in one neat little package!”
This is perfect! The jokers are meant to represent positive forces in our community (past or present).. think R.R. Anderson Action Heros.. And Wild Bill Jones fits the bill (and so "pun-able")
There is ONE Joker left, who else should be honored in such a way and forever remembered in this soon to be classic deck???
"This is the most exciting Tacoma offering I have seen in a long time! I love packing gifts from Tacoma when we travel and have been gifting Almond Roca for years. Finally we have a healthy (and wonderfully artistic) alternative that is easy to pack and perfect for gift giving of all types! Thank you Tacoma Makes! Wild Bill Jones and I are thrilled to support this project! Love it!" Dyann Lyon
Dyann and Wild Bill, we are so glad this hits the mark! Thanks you for your support and for verbalizing how and why this deck is necessary. We hope we are bringing a "classic" into being that will be enjoyed for years to come.
We have passed the 50% mark on the Kickstarter campaign everybody!! Thanks to Kathleen Cooper's article Online portal begins with cards in the News Tribune and to everyone who has contributed so far! Tell your friends! Believe it or not, we don't think everybody knows about this yet!
