The following TAG members will be part of the tour:

• Matt Hollis is showing his piece “BIRTH of a GALAXY” on the 9th floor.
• Tiik Pollet, who also an award winning singer/songwriter and musician, is showing her photography, painting and drawings on the 7th floor.
• On the 8th floor, there’s a splendid multimedia piece by Tim Tate titled “The Oracle” (see right). It’s made of blown and cast glass, electronic components and original video.
• Ira Tattelman who Artomatic Manual previously did a Q&A with has his presentation on the 7th floor.
• On the 6th floor you will find a stunning 3-D standalone from Peter Wood.
• Richard Kightlinger and Fabian Rios-Rubino are showing their original works on the 4th floor
• The original paintings from Margaret Dowell are on the 2nd floor.
• Michael Torra is found on the 2nd floor with his take on abstract art of which he says “I’ve heard some people say that abstract and non-representational art is not accessible to those outside the cultural elite. They’re wrong of course.”
• Original photography from Colin Winterbottom is on the 2nd floor of which he says “I welcome Artomatic as an opportunity to show types of work I might not show elsewhere”

Is there an exhibit you found especially moving? Just like the friendly man in the elevator, please share your thoughts in the comments below.

This year at Artomatic Samuel Scharf is taking a new approach to nature with “The Great Unwashed”. He’s recreated a tree outside of nature – a large scale installation of a sketch Scharf says he has wanted to realize for about a year now. Scharf is essentially “trying to place the trees into an art context as to reevaluate their importance in this changing ‘green’ movement.”

He explains the process: “I acquired some trees that were being cut down and wanted to recycle them per say and display them as art objects for further contemplation. I then cut them into cross sections and restacked them using obvious manmade materials to accentuate the notion that while I tried, I could never hope to recreate what nature made so effortlessly and we cut down so effortlessly. The trees are stacked in the space from floor tight to ceiling and are painted a ‘sculpture red’ paint. They are on the second floor of Artomatic and hopefully cannot be missed.”

How do you feel about taking part in the 10th Anniversary of Artomatic? “I feel highly thankful and gratified for being able to take part in such a staple in the DC art scene for the past 10 years.  I’ve personally only been here four years and this was my first attempt to place myself in Artomatic and I couldn’t be happier with the experience!  It has been a pleasure to be around so many artists with so many different styles and all working towards the same goal.”

Why should an Artomatic visitor make the special trip to visit your space? “Well if the visitor is coming to Artomatic anyway… why not see another piece of art, right?  Mostly, I’d hope the visitor would make a special trip to see my work because I put an extreme amount of effort and exertion in making this piece and I think it shows.  For working a full time job and only being able to work limited hours on the piece, 106 hours later, I feel as if I poured my soul out on that floor so that regardless of being a represented artist or not, the viewer can see that great work comes from inside the creator and must be let out at any cost possible.  Plus, I think aesthetically it’s a great piece for that space and at 8 o’clock when the suns setting in the building it’s an unintentional natural beauty taking place that I could have never expected!”

Where can we see your work next? “Actually like I said I’m a struggling working artist out of college and not quite yet in Grad school making the balance between paying bills and making work.  Though lately I’ve made a solid effort to expose myself more and the next big event will hopefully, if I get the grant, be a local artist exhibition at my home in Shaw from a DCAH grant.  The plan has to collect trash from the terrible dumping issue there and let the local artists, approx 9 right now, have their way with it and open my home up to display the work for sale with all proceeds going to the local YMCA down the street.  I’m at 1539 8th street NW (the orange door) and the opening of the event is scheduled for August 8th from 6-10.  All are welcome and whether or not I get the grant the event should go as scheduled.  Other than that, just some work here and there and I’m hopefully shooting for a show or two before the end of this year for a resume amp so that Grad school can be secured in the future.”

You can see the work of Samuel Scharf on floor 2, space 04 directly out of the elevator on the stadium side.

Saturday:

• For Artomatic artists (or wannabee artists), there’s a workshop on keeping your career in the arts alive. The workshop titled “Career Management for Artists: The 411 on Sculpting Your Career and Staying Competitive” is from 8 to 10 p.m. in the James Renwick Alliance Education room.
• The African-American Collective Theater presents a gay-themed dramatic performance from 8 to 10 p.m. on the Dance/Theatre Stage.
• For fans of horror films, make sure to check out “Spooky Movie – The Washington, D.C. International Horror Film Festival.” Showing two hours of the best short horror films from the festival, the screenings take place from 7 to 9 p.m. in the SunTrust Film Screening Room.
• For a sure-to-please family friendly event, children can make Quetzalcoatl (cornhusk puppets) along with listening to Mexican storytelling in the workshop sponsored by the Mexican Cultural Institute.
• If you’re out on the town sans the kids, Libertine Burlesque (pictured at right) said to “tease, please, titillate, amuse and satisfy” will be performing on the Cabaret Stage from 9 to 9:50 p.m.

Sunday:

• For artistic-leaning kids, there’s a comic drawing workshop with JJ Express Magazine editors who will give insight on the comic creating process as well as how they can be used for social change. The workshop, suited for ages 10 and up, is from 2 to 4 p.m. in the Utrecht Art Supply Education Room.
• To see your favorite Artomatic artists in a new way…an undead way…a special artist social in the form of a Zombie Prom takes place from 6 to 9 p.m. on the 7th floor.
• If you’re a goth/industrial fan, then Nuclearfest 2009: The Free Edition is right up your alley. The third annual installment of the D.C. event, it takes place from 4 to 9:30 p.m. on the Cabaret Stage.
• Another edition of the glass art tour of Artomatic with the Washington Glass School takes place from 2 to 3 p.m. It meets in the lobby and promises to show Artomatic visitors all of the can’t miss glass exhibits at this year’s event.

Christie Otvos is trying something different at this year’s Artomatic and not showing her usual glass art. Instead she is showing an upcycled creation made from boxes she found on Craigslist and the newspaper. Otvos says: “I wondered if I would be able to create a piece of art with items around the house or with things that I have available to me for free.”

Her contribution to Artomatic this year, “The Sinking Ship” is inspired by her day job dealing with print media. Otvos says “The Sinking Ship” represents, “the uncharted water I seem to find myself in these days and the uncertaintly or the direciton of my future with my job and my art.”

The ship is surrounded by waves covered on one side with Otvos’ business resume and on the other side her artist resume. The latter resume has “waves going in the wrong direction to represent how difficult and aginst the grain that path would be.”

How do you feel about taking part in the 10th Anniversary of Artomatic? “I have to admit I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to be a part of Artomatic this year.  I guess you can say I’m a starving artist with a day job. The future of my job is not certain and wasn’t sure if it would be in my best interest to spend money to create art.

However, I’ve been apart of Artomatic since 2004 and couldn’t imagine not being there this year.  Artomatic has always been a wonderful environment to meet other creative souls and I look forward to see what amazing work folks have created.”

Why should an Artomatic visitor make the special trip to visit your space? “Please come and visit my space and let me know what you think the future media landscape will look like.  Write down your thoughts and toss them in the ship.”

Where can we see your work next?“I’m co-producing a fire variety show called the Tilted Torch [that premiered] June 5th at the Palace of Wonders on H St. NE.  This month’s theme is Wild and Wooly and will be featuring not only fire but belly dancing, burlesque and outrageous juggling.

Also, ‘I Don’t Do Windows’ a series of mosaic cleaning tools will be on display at the District Playground from June until August.”

You can see the work of Christie Otvos on the 7th floor, area 2.

Most people, both in and out of the D.C. region are familiar with Frank Warren’s project known as PostSecret. The project could be better described as an ongoing experience for anyone who wishes to take part — as Warren accepts anonymous secrets mailed to him on postcards. These secrets later get posted online.

PostSecret made its debut about five years ago at Artomatic and Warren is returning to the event this Saturday for a special book signing of his latest book “PostSecret Confessions on Life, Death and God.”

Warren will also be showing secrets filmed from the first night of Artomatic. See a sneak peek below courtesy of the Artomatic YouTube Channel and read on for a special interview with Warren.

What surprises you the most about the organic nature of the PostSecret community? “I have been getting about 1,000 postcards every week from around the world with extraordinary art and secrets for five years now. So it feels like I tapped into something accidentally that has been there all along. And although I have seen nearly 500,000 secrets now they still seem fresh and mysterious everyday I pull them from my mailbox.”

Tell us about your new book PostSecret Confessions on Life, Death and God. “The new book is a collection of never-before-seen secrets that are funny, spiritual, sexual, hopeful and shocking. No other PostSecret book has so many secrets about our hidden hopes and fears about the afterlife, God and our faiths.  For me, this feels like the most substantial of the five PostSecret books.”

You were at Artomatic capturing the secrets of Artomatic artists/guests on video last weekend. How did that go? “It is always exciting to hear people articulate secrets that have been unsaid.  I think it takes courageous self-awareness and can inspire others to look for the secrets that might be keeping them too. Artomatic always has such an energy. I don’t think there are many other places in DC where people would line up to share the hidden parts of themselves with others.”

You made your Artomatic debut about five years ago. How does it feel to be the part of the 10th Anniversary of Artomatic? “One of the reasons Artomatic is so exciting for me is how it holds on to it’s old values while getting better and bigger every year.  A lot of work goes into the event and I appreciate so much the volunteers who step up in the name of art and the dedicated leadership that makes this collective dream come true.”

Any suggestions for Artomatic Manual readers on what they should make sure to check out when they make their next visit to Artomatic? “Look for that one piece of art that makes you say, ‘I could do better than that.’ And then become part of the magic of Artomatic next year.”

Frank Warren of PostSecret will be signing his new book “PostSecret Confessions on Life, Death and God” Saturday, June 13 from 7 to 9 p.m. on the 7th floor.

First of all, there is “Meet The Artists Night” on Saturday, June 13 from 7 to 9 p.m. Make sure to swing by Artomatic to meet the artists behind your favorite exhibits.

And while you’re there, make sure to stop by the 7th floor store for a special visit from PostSecret’s Frank Warren. He’ll be signing his new book while in the background there will be a special screening of video secrets shot on Artomatic opening night.

Check back here this afternoon for special Q&A with Warren as he answers Artomatic Manual’s questions about everything from his new book to making his Artomatic debut five years ago.

John Sawyer and Victor Rortvedt are presenting a project called reDISTRICTing at the 10th Anniversary of Artomatic. Sawyer and Rortvedt use photo overlays of modern DC scenes with black and white Library of Congress images of the same location from another time. Of the project, they say, “We were inspired by the cultural signals sent by the redevelopment of neighborhoods like U Street, Logan Circle and Penn Quarter, and the city-shaping events that have taken place in the past.” The end result they say gives “a sense of the progression of time, the value of preservation and the changing landscape of our city.”

They continue to say: “We were struck both by the integration of historical landscape in some areas, and by the complete wiping away of that history in others.  We hope the piece will make people pause and consider just how present our community’s history is all around us – from the legacy of the 1968 riots to Civil Rights marchers at Meridian Hill Park to the streetcars that once shuttled people up and down Pennsylvania Avenue.”

There are 11 images in total and limited editions of 15 of each image will be sold during the duration of Artomatic.

How do you feel about taking part in the 10th Anniversary of Artomatic? “We’re psyched!  One of the best parts of participating in Artomatic is the up-close view you get of the huge amount of organization and collective energy that goes into putting something like this together. It’s a real community event, that puts a side of DC on display that you don’t see every day. We feel like our project fits right into the anniversary vibe, with a juxtaposition of old and new, and a look at how local landmarks and institutions evolve over time.”

Why should an Artomatic visitor make the special trip to visit your space? “Our images capture a side of DC that gets a little deeper than your average Capitol Dome or Jefferson Memorial Cherry Blossom shot. They spark conversations – ‘wait a second, where is that?’ or ‘I know that corner’ -  about the living, breathing history of DC that goes beyond the Mall and into the community. Also, the background on our partition wall is really cool! We found some old newspapers in John’s girlfriend’s parents attic – the Washington Evening Star from 1952 – and created a collage of those with the DC flag overlaid. Once you’ve seen the images we’re displaying, you can spend even more time taking in the old newspapers with their ridiculous chauvinist headlines, like ‘Raven-haired Beauty Runs Kefauver Headquarters.’”

Where can we see your work next? “We don’t know, to be honest. Hopefully somewhere before next year’s Artomatic. Any takers?”

You can see reDISTRICTing on the 4th floor, area 6.

Every artist at the 10th Anniversary of Artomatic has in their own unique way created something to show in their space. For this Artomatic Manual Tour, we focus on those who have created handcrafted artwork — the crafters. From those who create via fabric, stitchery, jewelry or decorative painting we’ve highlighted our favorites.

• For those looking to purchase a handcrafted purse made of non-traditional materials, stop by the installation of Caitlin Phillips (aka Rebound Designs). She is showing purses at Artomatic made upcycled from Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys books. You can find a new purse on the 7th floor, area 2.
• For all you knitters and knit-lovers, Rania Hassan (aka goshdarnknit) does a fabulous job of combining the art of actually knitting with paintings of said craft. See Hassan’s exhibit on the 9th floor, area 03.
• Kimberley Bush (picture at left) creates Raku Pottery, Horsehair Pottery and Porcelain Pottery with Glass fusion. Make sure you check out her hand thrown bottle formed with Raku Clay and glazed with Gator skin. You can see her at on the 9th floor, area 11.
• Jane G. Broaddus is a fiber artist who hails from the tradition of quilting. Her quilt ’sandwiches’ serve as a platform to create images from materials such as paper, beads, buttons and found objects. Check out her “sandwiches” at Artomatic on the 5th floor.
• Eileen Williams creates contemporary art from mixed media on fabric. You can find her triangle shaped series “Celebration of Women Through Faces in Fabric on the the 4th floor, area 16.
• Pang Tubhirun (aka Pretty Little Fings) is a one-woman operation that creates adorable plushies Artomatic Manual suggests you don’t wait until the end of Artomatic to buy. Check out Pretty Little Fings at on the 4th, area 5.
• Sean Hennessey creates concrete and glass sculptures “concerning the stages of transformation using imagery of common and slightly nostalgic items.” You can see his work at Artomatic on the 9th floor, area 3.
• Alyson Olander, who is inspired by nature and cycles of the sun, moon and planets, makes small art quilts. You can see her two series “Full Moons” and “Water & Stones” on the 4th floor, area 10.

If you feel we’ve overlooked an Artomatic Artist please let us know by sharing with us and the rest of the Artomatic Manual readers in the comments below.

For Jamie Wimberly’s first Artomatic show, he is showing five pieces which represent part of a series called “Provocations.”

Wimberly explains: “I make constructions using found objects and an iconic treatment of a central figure (the red-headed woman.) The work increasingly references art itself (thus, the whole provocations thing), almost as a reliquary to the past but also pointing to the next period of important art.”

Although this is Wimberly’s first Artomatic show, he has been working in DC as an artist for approximately ten years. Wimberly says that his work has been well received over the years — Wimberly has shown at many galleries in town and was represented by the Fraser Gallery in the past.

How do you feel about taking part in the 10th Anniversary of Artomatic? “After visiting and enjoying Artomatic in years past, this is actually my first time to show my work. I am excited to be in the show this year, especially to interact with the other artists. Making art in DC can be an isolating experience. Kudos to the artists and organizers who have kept the flame alive for ten years!”

Why should an Artomatic visitor make the special trip to visit your space? “The work tends to stand out and attract attention. The pieces are meant to be enjoyed visually but also make you think for a minute. I hope that people find that the work represents the standards that I hold to be true around aesthetics, spirituality, art history, and craftsmanship. Finally, there are some new pieces that have never been shown before. I am interested in hearing people’s reaction.”

Where can we see your work next? “Good question. I am hoping that Artomatic may lead to some other opportunities to show my work, including the possibility of gallery representation again in DC.”

You can see Jamie Wimberly at Artomatic on the second floor, around the corner from the elevators.