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Washington, DC, May 2, 2008 – Artomatic, the Washington, D.C., area’s homegrown art extravaganza, opens to the public at noon on Friday, May 9, with over 700 visual artists and 300 performances, including the fire-dancing troupe Flights of Fire and performance art in the form of a new TV game show, “The Road to Success!” in just the first weekend. Live music will range from acoustic and folk rock, pop, jazz, funk, oldies, and rockabilly to experimental, indie, new wave, and “electro-acoustic psychedelic world dance music.”The NoMa (north of Massachusetts Avenue) Business Improvement District (BID) is hosting Artomatic 2008 at the Capitol Plaza I building, located at 1200 First Street (1st and M Streets), N.E., in Washington, D.C., just one block west of the New York Avenue Metro station. Show hours are Fridays and Saturdays: noon-2 a.m.; Sundays: noon-10 p.m.; Wednesdays and Thursdays: 5 p.m.-10 p.m.; closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Artomatic’s closing day is June 15.

“NoMa is ready to welcome tens of thousands of visitors to Artomatic so they can see the transformation that is under way in NoMa,” said Elizabeth Price, President of the NoMa BID. “NoMa is currently a hotbed of construction activity and now, thanks to Artomatic, the neighborhood will be bursting with the energy and excitement that only the artistic community can create.”

Highlights of Artomatic’s opening weekend include:

  • Unveiling of nine floors of 2-D and 3-D visual arts presentations by more than 700 local and regional artists.
  • Flights of Fire–a fire dancing performance to be held outside at 9 p.m., Friday, May 9.
  • “Electro-acoustic psychedelic world dance music” by Baltimore’s Telesma at 9 p.m., Friday, May 9.
  • A Latin dance workshop with professional dance instructor Ibis Villegas, featuring salsa, merengue, samba, and other styles at 2 p.m., Saturday, May 10.
  • Progressive rock by Guardians of Iridescence at 8 p.m., Saturday, May 10.
  • “The Road to Success,” performance art by Carolina Mayorga in the form of a new TV game show at 8 p.m., Saturday, May 10.
  • New wave/indie rock by Plastiq Passion, an all-girl band from Union City, New Jersey at 11 p.m., Saturday, May 10.
  • An expressive drawing workshop with Giliah Litwack at 1 p.m., Sunday, May 11.
  • “In-your-face” jazz/jam music “with a touch of funk” by Bethesda, JD-based Bassment Breaks at 4 p.m., Sunday, May 11.

A full schedule of events is available at http://www.artomatic.org.

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.

“This is the biggest Artomatic ever, with an abundance of exhibits and performances that will be open to all-from recognized artists to undiscovered talents,” said George Koch, Artomatic chair. “You won’t want to miss opening weekend, and once you’ve experienced Artomatic, you’ll want to keep coming back for more.”

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 http://nomabid.wpengine.com.

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 http://www.artomatic.org.

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