It all began with a pair of digital art enthusiasts casually strolling through downtown Camas, WA on October 10, 2024. In an effort to pass the time, our families wandered into Camas Antiques for some window shopping. As we explored, we stumbled upon a vendor with a small collection of vintage license plates that left us in awe. Each plate radiated history, culture, and had a unique vintage aesthetic, sparking something inside us.

With the election season in full swing, a thought emerged: What if we could tie these vintage plates to a project that celebrated America's history and culture, while also connecting it to the upcoming presidential election? The idea grew quickly, and we realized that the number of electoral votes each state holds would be a perfect way to frame the collection.

From there, our imagination took flight. We began to dream about the stories embedded in each plate, the history surrounding them, and the rich lore that connected them all. But then the practical questions hit us—how would we gather 538 unique plates, each representing a state’s electoral votes? How would we photograph and archive all of these? How do we mint an ordinal? How would we complete this project by Election Day only a few weeks away?

Despite the swirl of uncertainty, we knew we couldn’t pass up this opportunity. After all, the election only happens every four years, and we felt it was worth a try to bring something so unique and meaningful to the digital art world. We scoured the internet, hoping to find someone who could help us make this vision a reality.

The very next day, we were connected with Kase, who happened to be just two hours away in Tacoma, WA. Not only was he a political science major, but he was also the proud owner of over 280,000 vintage license plates. Kase loved the concept and agreed to help us track down the necessary plates to complete our project in time for our election day deadline.

Over the next few weeks, we carefully curated and photographed each of the 538 plates in this collection, capturing them time and time again until everything was just right. In the end, we met our deadline, and launched the collection on Election Day morning (November 5th, 2024), filled with anticipation, pride, and a sense of fulfillment. While these digital artifacts are now available to the collecting world, the physical plates remain with us as a cherished reminder of this incredible, creative journey.

Thank you for supporting "Americana." We're beyond grateful for the opportunity to share this unique story with you.