Artomatic 2015:

I spent most of Artomatic 2015 out of town getting my yoga teaching certification but I managed to catch it the very last day! I spent over 4 hours trying to capture as much artwork as possible to share here. Artomatic is a relatively short event running around 4-6 weeks total (with months of planning before hand!) so being able to capture so many amazing pieces to share has always been on my to do list once Artomatic starts. Normally I try to post during the event to help promote not only the event but the artists as well. Hopefully having my posts coming after the event this time will help viewers become more interested in the process of the next event from beginning to end! I saw some familiar artists (and friends!), some with wonderful pieces I had the pleasure of blogging about previously, and some with new work I was very excited to see! With everything from quick sketches that really tell a story, to hand made musical instruments, Artomatic is an amazing event and I hope to take part in the next one!


My involvement in Artomatic: I had the amazing opportunity to spend over 65 hours at Artomatic@Frederick in 2011 and then to be one of the small team of people who ran Artomatic@Frederick in 2013, spending over 300 hours there from start to finish. I also ran Artomatic DC's Zombie Prom in 2012 and I showed my own art at each event. It was a life changing experience for me so I love to share the experience of Artomatic with others! 

About Artomatic: Taking place (this year, as the location changes) in Hyattsville, Maryland, Artomatic describes itself via the Artomatic.org site as: “Artomatic is a non-profit, volunteer-run 501(c)3 orginaztion that organizes and hosts a large arts festival occurring every 12-18 months in the DC metropolitan area, usually in a commercial location slated for demolition. The event is unjuried (first-come-first-served) and showcases creative work in visual art, music, film, performance, and fashion. The 2012 Artomatic attracted about 1700 artists and performers and over 70, 000 visitors. We also license other events in other locations, such as Artomatic@Frederick, held in Frederick, MD, and are currently expanding and building out licensing program statewide and internationally. Artomatic’s mission is to create community, build audience and expand economic development by transforming available space into a playground for artistic expression. Artomatic is guided by a volunteer Board of Directors and is funded in part by the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities, an agency supported by the National Endowment for the Arts. See more about the volunteer teams that make Artomatic possible.” as well as saying, 

“Emerging and established artists present their work side by side and have the chance to work and learn from one another. The diversity of artwork and performances attract the proudest range of people, providing a forum to build institutional connections. Artists, organizations and visitors come together and illustrate the energy, vitality and strength of the arts to impact the community.” 

Time for some artwork! 

Artomatic 2012 Artwork, Part Three:

It's no secret that I love encaustic work. I find the medium itself soothing. It smells good, it feels good to work with but wow is it hard to get it to do what I want it to do! Kevin Milstead does not seem to share this problem with me!

 

For me Nancy Hacskaylo's encaustic work has it all.  Encausic, symmetry, the circus. I really love the work she is displaying at Artomatic. While someone may look at Nancy's work and feel a sense of dread due to the clowns, as a circus lover I look at it and want to know more of the story. The organic feel of her art works well with the crisp transfers, a technique I have certainly not mastered yet!

 

 John Grunwell is not only an amazing artist he is an incredibly friendly and helpful person. Without John's help I don't think my space (which is across from his) would have been put together in time for Artomatic's opening! John not only has his work displayed on the 9th floor once, but twice. He is also a mural artist and if you like his smaller pieces you'll be blown away by the larger one!  

Jeremy Arn's cityscape instantly caught my attention. I love the use of the monochrome color to highlight the shapes that make up the city. It brought me back to watching Dark City when I was younger, a sci-fi movie where the film noir-esque city and its residents is shifted and moved around at night. So simple yet so beautiful. I really like this piece! 

ARTOMATIC:

"By artists, for everyone."

ARTOMATIC 2012 is DC's biggest creative event. 1,300 artists and performers in an 11-story building from May 18th to June 23rd. ARTOMATIC creates a community, builds an audience and expands economic development by transforming available spaces into a "playground for artistic expression." ARTOMATIC is a non-profit, volunteer-run 501(c)3 organization. ARTOMATIC is guided by a volunteer Board of Directors and is funded in part by the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities, an agency supported by the National Endowment for the Arts. Volunteer teams make Artomatic possible as well as donations and an artist fee for showing work.

ARTOMATIC is an unjuried art event that showcases creative work in visual art, music, film, performance, and fashion. Events throughout the month include performances, live music, and Artist Socials such as Meet The Artist Night on June 2nd from 7pm to 9pm, Zombie Prom on June 9th from 8pm to10pm, as well as helpful and informative workshops like Jennifer Finley's (director of Artomatic@Frederick) Framing and Presentation workshop, even Wine Tastings. All events and workshops can be found on ARTOMATIC's site at: http://www.artomatic.org/events

The Art To Go Marketplace is something to check out as well. Located on the main floor artists are selling work that is allowed to leave the building on various days (Artwork on the walls shown during ARTOMATIC may be for sale but can not leave the building until the last day).

ARTOMATIC also licenses other events in other locations, such as Artomatic@Frederick, held in Frederick, Maryland, in 2011 (Where Synesthesia Art and Photo spent 60+ hours volunteering).

ARTOMATIC is always FREE to attend (drinks/food are not free but check out the bars (wine, beer and non-alcoholic selections) and food options at ARTOMATIC, it's sponsored by businesses like Dogfish Head and Heineken this year!) and it's located 1/2 a block from the Crystal City metro station so bring your friends and family! Take photos (try to include Artist's names when reposting), share, locate artists and join their mailing lists, sign  guestbooks, repost, tag, visit often and above all enjoy!

More information can be found at:
Artomatic's Facebook Page and http://artomatic.org

More information about my involvement in ARTOMATIC 2012 can be found here: http://www.artomatic.org/user/313/ 

Most of this text was taken from Artomatic's Facebook Page and then elaborated upon.