Experimental Saturday: Artomatic!
We just got back from Artomatic, a really cool art festival that pops up around the Washington DC area every year or so, provided they can find an empty office building to host it in. The Parks and Planning Commission supports it, as does the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities. And it’s all free.
There’s food and drink to buy, cabaret tables set up, and performances from bands, dancers, and artists. And of course there’s tons of art work to look at, all around the four floors of the building, which this time is in Hyattsville, Maryland, near New Carrollton. There’s also an enormous amount of talent, and an incredible sense of community—which was their intent.
My friends and I walked around the maze-like office building, taking in all the art. The show isn’t juried, so there’s a variety of art, some of which is amazing and very interesting. Despite that I kept laughing thinking of the Art Fair in Ann Arbor, Michigan (where I went to college), which we affectionately called “Fart Air,” Artomatic was really cool. I took a ton of pictures (and a couple videos) and decided to share them on my blog.
This is also my first Experimental Saturday because I’ve never created a gallery on this blog before. Actually, that’s not entirely true, but close (that page is technically a portfolio, not a gallery). Also, I had heard about Artomatic for years but never actually got there before now, so there’s another experiment!
I hope you enjoy it!
(Hover over the images to see the caption, and/or click the image to see it larger and read the caption.)
-
- RequestComics.com.
-
- RequestComics.com.
-
- The downstairs performance space.
-
- A really cool exhibit called Women Say Sorry, where people fill out post-it notes answering questions like: why do you say sorry?
-
- A really cool exhibit called Women Say Sorry, where people fill out post-it notes answering questions like: why do you say sorry?
-
- A really cool exhibit called Women Say Sorry, where people fill out post-it notes answering questions like: why do you say sorry?
-
- These works are made on old damaged screens, and sewn thread. So cool!
-
- These works are made on old damaged screens, and sewn thread. So cool!
-
- A close up of this work made on an old damaged screens, with sewn thread. So cool!
-
- I’m not sure how this is done, but my friend Gina says it’s cast glass. It’s essentially 3D!
-
- I’m not sure how this is done, but my friend Gina says it’s cast glass. It’s essentially 3D!
-
- These photos are beautiful.
-
- Bunnies, it must be bunnies!
-
- This goes with the video of the “windchimes” below. It’s so cool what the artist did.
-
- Alex and our friend Gina in front of these cool paintings by Cheryl Ann Bearss
-
- In Alex’s addled brain, he thought this said “R F Camus,” which is my father’s username. 🙂
-
- I really dug this one too. I even signed their mailing list.
-
- This took me a few minutes, but eventually I really appreciated all of “Paranoid Bear”‘s responses to life’s basic questions.
-
- This took me a few minutes, but eventually I really appreciated all of “Paranoid Bear”‘s responses to life’s basic questions.
-
- My friend Johnny taking a break. I also love that picture of the doggy.
-
- This is so cool: dresses made from fused glass.
-
- This dress is made from fused glass. Beautiful.
-
- Love these movie images.
-
- This was done by a friend of mine, Eric Celarier (who performed in my masters thesis back in 2001).
-
- The explanation behind Eric Celarier’s artwork.
-
- I love this. Make it happen, Groenig!
-
- A cool diarama, as seen from two floors up. (There’s a video of this below, too).
-
- I love the photographs in this “Mama Love” exhibit, especially this yoga one (left).
-
- I love the photographs in this “Mama Love” exhibit, especially this scar one (left).
-
- This one is disturbing, but powerful. I liked that they recreated the entire room.
-
- This one is disturbing, but powerful. I liked that they recreated the entire room.
-
- The bar on 4, sideways.
-
- A little dance floor.
-
- A performance stage, next to the dance floor.
-
- This is a community painting done by a friend of my friend Gina. Well, technically it’s done by whomever wants to contribute. (there’s a video below of the young girl painting too.)
-
- This gentleman was creating art as we watched.
-
- Alex made his own art–on his face–by eating a massive and kind of horribly sweet cupcake.
-
- This is close to what the cupcake looked like when it started.
-
- An “Art-o” Matic paper towel dispenser in the bathroom.
-
- Goodbye Artomatic!
Some of the artwork was too interactive to just take a photo, so I took a few videos too.
My friend Kristin Looney enjoys what’s probably the coolest exhibit at Artomatic: the Fake Windchimes (see the description above, 6th row down, far right picture). So peaceful, and really clever.
A cool umbrella mobile, as seen from 2 floors up.
Silly Alex jumped into the time vortex (and may have hurt his ankle in the process).
This is more me playing with the video options on my phone, specifically the “time lapse” option, but Gina is very silly, so I’m including it. I just said, “Hey Gina, dance for me.” And this is what she did (sped up, in time lapse).
That same umbrella mobile, this time from 3 floors up.
A young artist contributes to the community painting canvas.
Alex finishes off that massive, messy cupcake.
I’m certain my iPhone isn’t doing justice to your pics – but what a fun time! I love doing cultured things.
Yeah, it was awesome! I almost didn’t go because I was tired and stressing about work, but I’m really glad I went. 🙂
[…] I already “lost” the challenge. I missed a good 5 or 6 days, I think. I posted on November 21, then missed the 22nd, but posted (something cool, I think) on the 23rd. But that was the last one! […]