Artomatic Opens Today

You may already know that Artomatic opens today at noon in NoMA. The art extravaganza runs from May 9th through June 15th. The hours are-

Wednesday–Thursdays: 5pm-10pm
Fridays–Saturdays: 12pm-2am
Sundays: 12pm-10pm
Closed Mondays and Tuesdays

The address is 1200 1st Street NE [the corner of 1st and M]
Admission is free, but donations are accepted.

One thing you may not know about Artomatic is that it offers children's events. Check out the press releases below for more info and a full schedule of children's events-
Artomatic offers free events for kids every weekend

If you've got a budding Frida Kahlo or Pablo Picasso in your family,
Artomatic will the place for your kids to be this summer. The
five-week event will include more than a dozen free children's
activities, including hands-on workshops, tours and other arts-related
attractions. And that's in addition to the thousands of artworks that
will be on display.

Held regularly since 1999, Artomatic is the Washington, D.C., area's
one-of-a-kind multimedia arts event. More than 1,000 artists —
including about 700 visual artists and 300 performers — are
participating in this year's event. For the first time, Artomatic will
be hosting a full lineup of events designed especially for younger
artists.

Free children's activities are scheduled for every weekend of
Artomatic, which will be held May 9–June 15. The kids events kick off
Saturday May 10 with storytelling at noon and continue with drawing,
dolls, portraits, poetry and more on subsequent days. Kids will get to
express their creativity through hands-on activities such as making
their own mobiles, seed mosaics or fanciful paper hats.

"Artomatic is for everyone in the community, including children, so
we've designed a full slate of events just for them," said Fran
Atkinson, Artomatic children's activities co-chair. "Today's creative
kids are tomorrow's artists."

While at Artomatic, kids should check out the 10th floor, which is
home to more than three dozen Peeps dioramas. Artomatic is once again
hosting finalists from the Sunday Source Peeps Diorama Contest held by
The Washington Post. On Saturday, May 31, from noon to 2 p.m.,
children can take part in a tour of the Peeps dioramas and a free
Peeps diorama-making workshop. A second diorama workshop will be held
June 7. The dioramas can also be viewed anytime during regular
Artomatic hours.

Families will also want to browse the wide range of artwork on display
at Artomatic. Artomatic will include nine floors of visual artwork,
including ceramics, sculptures, installations, paintings, fiber works,
photography and murals. Artomatic is unique in that it is an inclusive
and open art event, showcasing works from a range of performers and
artists. Artomatic is an open, unjuried event. Not all artwork may not
be suited for children, so parents should use their own judgment as
they accompany their families during the event.


Parents who bring their children to Artomatic will want to pick up a
copy of the Kidsomatic Self-Tour Guide, which includes a list of
artworks that appeal to kids, as selected by Artomatic children's
events organizers. Copies of the guide will be available on the first
floor.

All Artomatic children's events are free, but space may be limited. To
RSVP and reserve a space, visit http://www.artomatic.org/kids.
Children ages 12 and under must be accompanied by a parent during kids
activities. For questions on more information on the children's
schedule, e-mail e-mail Fran Atkinson at msazuri@msn.com.

Presented in collaboration with the NoMa (North of Massachusetts
Avenue) Business Improvement District (BID), Artomatic 2008 is
expected to attract more than 50,000 visitors during its five-week
run. The event will be held on 10 floors — more than 200,000 square
feet — of the Capitol Plaza I building. The building is located at
1200 First Street, N.E., just one block west of the New York Avenue
Metro station, in Washington, D.C.

For a full list of all Artomatic activities, visit the online event
calendar at www.artomatic.org/event. The site also contains a catalog
of artists taking part in Artomatic with images of their work as well
as videos and music from performers.

For directions and hours, call the Artomatic infoline at 202-339-9007.
Visitors are strongly encouraged to take Metro to Artomatic.

Photo credit: A piñata-making workshop was one of the kids events at
Aromatic 2007. Photo by Greg Gutierrez


ARTOMATIC 2008 CHILDREN'S ACTIVITIES
Schedule subject to change. Check the Artomatic Web site for class
updates and descriptions: www.artomatic.org/kids. Children's events
meet at the Artomatic education room on the seventh floor.


Saturday, May 10
Noon–2 p.m.
Storytelling

1-5 p.m.
Mural painting

3-5 p.m.
Art Dolls

Sunday, May 11
1–2:30 p.m.
Expressive Drawing

Saturday, May 17
10 a.m.–Noon
Piñata Workshop

Noon–2 p.m.
Mobile Art by Paul Sikora

2 p.m.-4 p.m.
Self-Portraits


Saturday, May 24
2 p.m.–4 p.m.
Spoken Word Workshop

Saturday, May 31
Noon - 2 p.m.
Peeps Tour and Diorama Workshop I

2 p.m.-4 p.m.
Collage/Mixed Media

Sunday, June 1
4 p.m.-6 p.m.
Mobile Art

Saturday, June 7
Noon-2 p.m.
Drawing Your Dreams

3-5 p.m.
Peeps Diorama Workshop II


Sunday, June 8
1-2:30 p.m.
Kids and Parents Art Challenge

Friday, June 13
Time TBD
Dance & Vocal Orientation

Saturday, June 14
Time TBD
Dance & Vocal Workshop

Noon-2 p.m.
Seed Mosaics/Seed Rattles

2 p.m.-3 p.m.
Fanciful Paper Hats

3 p.m.-5 p.m.
Sculpt A Story

You can also donate blood at Artomatic if you go between 12pm and 4pm this Saturday.

On May 10 from noon until 4 p.m., Artomatic will be sponsoring a blood
drive to benefit the Blood Donor Center at Children's National Medical
Center. The drive will take place on the grounds of the Capitol Plaza
I building, where this year's Artomatic will be held. Capitol Plaza I
building is located at 1200 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002
(New York Ave. Metro stop, M Street exit). Children's National Medical
Center will be bringing a bloodmobile to collect donations on-site.
"Artomatic is a community arts event, and this is one of the many ways
that we are giving back to our community," said Artomatic artist Kerri
Sheehan, who is helping coordinate the blood drive.
The Blood Donor Center team at Children's National Medical Center
collects approximately 2,800 whole blood donations and 750 platelet
donations per year. But as the number of patients treated at the
medical center continues to grow, the need for blood donations is
greater than ever. Blood and platelets are in constant demand for
victims of accidents, cancer treatments, blood diseases and many types
of surgery. Each pint donated through the drive may help three or more
patients at Children's National. While all blood centers have a
constant need, Children's National Medical Center is the only hospital
in the region dedicated exclusively to pediatrics and has specialized
needs for transfusion services for children.
On May 10, Children's National Medical Center is hoping to collect
more than 30 units of blood through the Artomatic blood drive, and
that could help save lives of up to 90 children.
Donors will be able to give blood on a walk-up basis on Saturday, but
you can make sure you are first in line by reserving a time slot. To
make a reservation, visit www.childrensnational.org/donateblood, enter
the sponsor code "art", select the Artomatic drive and reserve your
time.

And you can enter a raffle to win 200 bucks towards your favorite piece of art

Artomatic visitors looking for that perfect piece of art for their
home or office will have an extra incentive to pick out their favorite
at this year's event.
As part of an Artomatic-sponsored raffle, visitors will have a chance
to win a $200 gift certificate that can be used to purchase any art
for sale at Artomatic.
"With more than 700 visual artists showing thousands of artworks,
including paintings, photography, glass, ceramics, sculptures and
fiber works, Artomatic will be an art-lovers paradise," said Artomatic
artist Liliane Blom, who is coordinating the raffle. "The raffle will
provide an extra incentive for visitors to find an artwork that they
love and make it their own."
Raffle tickets are $5 each and will be sold during Artomatic, which
will be held May 9–June 15. Odds of winning are 1:80, with half of
raffle proceeds benefiting Artomatic. Tickets will be sold at the
Artomatic store, located on the 11th floor, and by roaming volunteers.
Raffle drawings will be held every time 80 tickets are sold, meaning
there may be multiple drawings and multiple winners. Drawings will be
held Fridays at 9 p.m. in the Artomatic store. Winners need not be
present to win. Full details on the raffle are available at the event.
"The only hard choice for the winner will be deciding which artwork to
use their $200 gift certificate on," Blom said.
Artwork on display at Artomatic cannot be removed during the course of
the event, so purchasers will need to wait until after June 15 to hang
their new art at home. Visitors wishing to purchase art should contact
the artists directly.
This year's Artomatic is hosted by the NoMa Business Improvement
District (BID). Up to 1,000 local and regional artists will exhibit
their works and perform on 10 floors (more than 200,000 square feet)
of the Capitol Plaza I building at 1200 First Street, N.E.
Held regularly since 1999, Artomatic transforms an unfinished indoor
space into an exciting and diverse arts event that is free and open to
the public. In addition to displays and sales by hundreds of artists,
the event features free films, educational presentations and
children's activities, as well as musical, dance, poetry, theater and
other performances.
For a full list of all Artomatic activities, visit the online event
calendar at www.artomatic.org/event. The site also contains a catalog
of artists taking part in Artomatic with images of their work as well
as videos and music from performers.