Artomatic - DC's Free, Nonprofit, Unjuried, Art Festival - March 24th - May 6th, 2017 in Crystal City

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Artomatic, Washington, DC's unjuried art free-for-all is now up and running.  This year's location is 8100 Corporate Dr. Hyattsville, MD 20785, near the New Carrollton Metro and by the intersection of Rt. 50 and I-495.

What is an unjuried art free-for-all?  The art is not selected by a commission (or jury), it's first-come, first-served.  Participants pay a small fee and volunteer time to staff the event.  Meaning anyone can put just about anything up on the walls.  Meaning some of it is great and some of it is crap...its all in the eye of the beholder.  Evenings include a rotating selection of artist talks, workshops, music, film, and dance.

Open Wednesdays-Sundays (closed Mondays and Tuesdays)

And the best part...it's FREE.

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I went this past Saturday afternoon. There's some cool stuff, but it's so weird that it's in an office building. Some of the artist's had their work crammed in with other artists' stuff in small office. This leads to some crazy contrasts such as the decidedly male bondage paintings (assless chaps and all) next to more conventional work. If you go, check out the roaming robot that "steals your face".

Oh, and on Saturday nights at 6:30 you can go in and sketch nude models. Enjoy!

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Just about every Artomatic has been in a space that is about to be torn down or renovated- office building, the old Hechingers in Tenlytown etc. that's how they can get large spaces for free/cheap.

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Artomatic 2017 is rapidly approaching.  This year's edition will be March 24th - May 6th, 2017 in Crystal City:  1800 S. Bell Street (one short block from the Crystal City Metro station)