Art Deck-O: DC Playing Card Originals

June 29 - July 29, 2011
Art Deck-O: DC Playing Card Originals
Artists from the Washington DC
Playing Card Project
Opening Reception: Friday, July 8, 6–8:30 pm

 This past winter 54 of Washington DC's finest artists came together to produce wildly creative designs that form a playing card deck unique to our area.  The culmination of these efforts was then published in a deck of fully functional playing cards with traditional suites of diamonds, hearts, spades and clubs. Although decks of cards--designed by artists or created in a particular theme--have been around for centuries, this latest variation on the concept has given DC area artists a fun way to showcase their individual expressions in card form. Both the originals and the decks of cards will be on exhibit at

Touchstone Gallery during the month of July as Touchstone partners with Art In Hand, to promote the work of artists here in DC.   Each deck is composed of a fantastic array of genres and mediums which are a big hit with artists, school teachers, magicians, game players and art lovers everywhere. Each deck is like holding an Art Gallery right in your own hands. Washington is the third city in a series of art decks created by Art In Hand ^TM, an arts publisher out of Charlotte, NC. Founded by Dione Goyette in 2009, the first project united artists in the Charlotte area and then inspired a deck in Portland, Oregon.

This imaginative and collaborative project isn't just fun and games. So far, participating artists in Charlotte and Portland can boast that their work is in the homes of over 3,000 and 5,000 people respectively. Decks in both cities will go back for second printings this year.

Artists: Alderton, Erin Antognoli, Michael J. Auger, Jennifer Beinhacker, Chris Bishop, Jennifer Bishop, Liliane Blom, Adam Bradley, Tory Cowles, Karen Deans, Cheryl Patrice Derricotte,  Devbo, Dana Ellyn, Theresa Esterlund, Susan Feller, Beth Hannon Fuller, Jenne Glover, Emily Greene Liddle, Rosemary Luckett, Sue Lynch, Susan Makara, Angela Maray, Joyce McCarten, Newton More, Jennifer O'Connell, Eileen Olson, Maggie O'Neill, Kristy Orr, Cindy Packard Richmond, Judith Peck, Pam Rogers, Daniel Francisco Roncesvalles, Lisa K. Rosenstein, Matt Sesow, Pauline A. Siple, Isabelle Spicer, Charles St. Charles, Mary Gallagher Stout, Dan Tulk, Pamela H. Viola, Gail Vollrath, Andrew Wodzianski, Emma Sky Wolf, Sharon Wolpoff and Jason Zampol.

 www.touchstonegallery.com

Art In Hand ^TM, Dione Goyette, Owner at 704-918-8186; www.artinhandcards.com

Images: “Joker”, Scratchboard by Susan Makara, “Ace of Diamonds (The Painter)” Fine art inkjet print on Archival rag paper by Sharon Wolpoff, “3 of Clubs” Plant and soil pigments, watercolor, and ink by Pam Rogers and “Queen of Spades” Oil on linen by Judith Peck

Touchstone Gallery
901 New York Ave NW
Washington DC 20001
Tel: 202-347-2787
http://www.touchstonegallery.com/