For more information, contact Angela Kleis 703-963-6771

Do you blog? Then pack up your laptop and come out and meet other D.C.-area bloggers during the spectacular that is Artomatic as we host our first-ever Blogger’s Night.

From 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday, May 17, bloggers can get an inside look at Artomatic, the Washington, D.C.-area’s arts extravaganza. Join your fellow DC-bloggites in the NoMa lounge on Artomatic’s 12th floor for a meet-up and mini-tour.

You’ll have a chance to swap ideas with Artomatic artists, including Erin Antognoli, Michael Auger, Jennifer Beinhacker, Angela Raincatcher, Kerri Sheehan, Paul Roe of Britishink and Jack Whitsitt. If you blog, you’re invited.

Pizza (aka blogger fuel) will be provided courtesy of Uno Chicago Grill at Union Station. Free wireless will be available, so you can send your thoughts straight into the blogosphere live from Artomatic.

Artomatic is located at 1200 First Street, N.E., just one block west of the New York Avenue Metro station, in Washington, D.C.

Blogger’s Night is hosted by photographer (and blogger) Angela Kleis, an Artomatic participant and our very own blogger liaison. Read Angela’s personal invite to bloggers below, and drop her a line at akleis@gmail.com. if you need more details.

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 is being held on 10 floors — more than 200,000 square feet — of the Capitol Plaza I building.

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.

Blog Artomatic and keep the ‘virus’ alive
“Artomatic is viral. With over 1,000 artists, this high-energy, non-stop event is a one-stop for who's who, who's next and who just wants to have fun with their art in the D.C. area. Just type "Artomatic 2008" into any search field and hit enter. How many pages of links do you get? This writer can report 75 pages referencing Artomatic. That's a lot by any standard. Artomatic news can be found all over the Internet from every conceivable outlet — from participating artist Web sites to friends of participating artists to news outlets and bloggers. Yes, Bloggers.

The bloggers and artists who help spread the word about Artomatic via their Web sites and online journals are an integral part of its success. As a thank you for their continued help spreading the Artomatic “virus,” we have invited a diverse group of visual artists to speak about their current Artomatic show on Artomatic's Blogger’s Night.

Join us for a mini-tour and artist discussion to learn about the inspiration behind the exhibits from the artists themselves. Then, WRITE! Help keep the Artomatic virus contagious. Write about your thoughts and experiences at Artomatic — good or bad. Because, quite frankly, we don't feel 75 pages of links is enough.” — Angela Kleis

ARTOMATIC
May 9–June 15
1200 First Street, N.E.,
(Corner of First and M Streets)
Washington, D.C.
(New York Avenue Metro station: Red line)
Free, but donations accepted

HOURS
Wednesday–Thursdays: 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Fridays–Saturdays: Noon to 2 a.m.
Sundays: Noon to 10 p.m.
Closed Mondays and Tuesdays

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About Artomatic: Artomatic is a creative community that collaborates to produce and present a free arts spectacular. Participation is open to all, from recognized artists to undiscovered talents, who work in a variety of arts forms. In partnership with the development community, Artomatic transforms unused building space into a playground for expression, serves as a catalyst for community growth in up-and-coming neighborhoods, and helps to grow our creative economy. The nonprofit Artomatic organization is headed 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. For more information, visit www.artomatic.org.

About the NoMa BID: NoMa is an emerging mixed-use neighborhood north of the U.S. Capitol and Union Station in Washington, D.C. Private developers have invested over $1 billion in 2007–2008 alone, with plans to develop more than 20 million square feet of office, residential, hotel, and retail space in the 35-block area covered by the NoMa BID over the next 10 years. For more information about the BID, including an interactive development map, see the BID Web site at www.nomabid.org.