Trading Creativity: How a New Art Form is Building Community at Otterbein

By Kennedy Berry ’27

As Otterbein’s electronic access librarian, Allen Reichert spends much of his time helping students connect with creative resources. Outside the library, he has found his own way to connect to artists through the small and imaginative art form of artist trading cards. 

These tiny works of art, each about the size of a baseball or Pokémon card, are made to be created, shared, and traded between artists.  

“It is kind of like having an artist pen pal,” Reichert said. “You are not competing or selling anything. You are just making and sharing art, and that makes it really freeing.” 

Reichert discovered artist trading cards in 2006 after reading an article about them online. What began as curiosity soon became a lasting creative outlet.  

“I did not think I was an artist that way,” he said. “It is like people who say, I cannot do art, I cannot draw. But with trading cards, I realized you do not have to be Michelangelo to make something beautiful. You just start creating.” 

He joined an online community called ATCs for All, where artists from around the world mail their handmade cards to one another. Over the years, Reichert has traded cards internationally, collecting small pieces that reflect different cultures and creative styles. 

“One of the best parts is seeing how different people approach the same theme,” he said. “You think you have seen every way to do it, and then someone surprises you. It is just so cool.” 

After years of trading online, Reichert brought the idea to Otterbein. Working with the student group Thriving Artists and other faculty members, he began organizing in person trading sessions for students, staff, and anyone who wants to join. 

“I think it would be great for the whole Otterbein community,” he said. “It is a chance to do something creative that is not class related, just to make, trade, and hang out.” 

For Reichert, the small size of the cards makes this art form welcoming and fun for beginners. “It is small enough that you can finish something in a night or two,” he said. “You can play, experiment, and just have fun with it.” 

Creating and trading these cards has also changed the way he looks at art. “When I go to museums now, I find myself wondering how the artist did that and thinking, could I try that myself? It has made those experiences richer,” Reichert said.