Art for the People: Artomatic

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STARTING ON FRIDAY, the Navy Yard is getting a booster shot of energy, as Artomatic takes on the burgeoning neighborhood. Through July 5, the whirlwind, nomadic event, with its 1,500 artists and performers in tow, is filling a brand-new, 275,000-square-foot office building with all Washington's creative types have to offer.

In its 10-year history, Artomatic has become a D.C. institution. It's provided an alternative venue for local artists, offering a festival that's part art fair, part circus. And since it lacks judges, curators or hierarchy, Artomatic is as democratic as an art show can get.

This mix of participants, for board chair George Koch (who is also an artist), is exactly what makes Artomatic work. He compares the event to the DUMBO arts district in Brooklyn, where artists, dancers, designers and creative types rub shoulders on a day-to-day basis. "In Washington, in the metropolitan area, that's hard to re-create. We don't have the synergy of a neighborhood like DUMBO," says Koch. "Artomatic, in reality, is a substitute for that."

Since more than 50,000 attendees are expected, visitors may be forced to get a little cozy. "It's a densely programmed event and that creates a whole lot of energy throughout the building," says Artomatic president Veronica Szalus, who is also an industrial designer. "It brings everyone in the community together, revolving around the arts, but you don't have to be an artist to be part of Artomatic."

For art-goers, the key is to be prepared to take your time, for each display offers something different. For instance, there are Basquiat-style paintings from Matt Sesow, delicate colored drawings of family photos by Annie Wilker and collages of matchbook covers from Heather Randell. Sculpture is represented as well and includes tabletop lamps made from circuit boards by Jason Haaber, classical stone and wood forms by Ann Ruppert and dressed-up piggy banks (called the Vegan Pig Farm) from Stephany Head.

Organizers hope that the long list of performers lined up for the five stages will entice attendees to return again and again. On the program is the all-women, Brazilian- and reggae-inspired Batala Percussion Band (May 29); the Sonic Circuits group, covering everything from electro-acoustic compositions to noise rock (May 30); improv performers DC Burner Choir with "Flush Gordon and the Criminal Union of Nefarious Treachery" (June 6); and the one-man band Ho Chi Minh Quartet Offensive, boasting improvised guitars and tuned percussion tubes (June 19).

Not to be missed are the PostSecret events with founder Frank Warren, who got his start at Artomatic. In addition to a book signing on June 13, Warren will be inviting passersby to record their secrets on video (behind the protection of a privacy screen) throughout the event or to submit their private blurbs on provided Artomatic-branded postcards.

"As long as we're in a neighborhood where there's change going on, there's opportunity," says Koch. "By going to a different neighborhood, we are able to build a broader audience for the artists and build relationships for our support throughout the city."

» Artomatic, 55 M St. SE; opens Fri., May 29 through July 5, free. (Navy Yard)

Written by Express contributor Danielle O'Steen
Photos courtesy Artomatic; Art by Ben Claassen III for Express