Celebrating its third anniversary in 2009, Artomatic 419! , a unique multimedia arts event, will take place at 201 Morris Street, in Toledo's historic warehouse district for three Saturdays, April 18, 25, and May 2, from 11:00 am until 11:00 pm.
A program of the Arts Commission of Greater Toledo, Artomatic 419! will present three days of visual art, music, poetry, dancing and more - all free and open to the public. The 2009 event is located in Toledo's warehouse district, home to more than 15 eateries, 5 art galleries and several individual and collective artist studios, serving as work spaces for over 15 local artists. 201 Morris is located in between the Oliver House and the High Level Bridge and between Summit Street and the Owens Corning parking lot. Street parking is available.
"We're thrilled to have access to such an amazing warehouse space for the event, and we are very grateful to have the Oliver House as such a generous presenting sponsor and partner. With the Artomatic 419! event, the Olive Street Studios, the Morris Street Studios, and the Oliver House eateries within the same block, we expect visitors to enjoy the warehouse district's synergy of arts, culture, and cuisine." states Marc Folk, Executive Director of the Arts Commission of Greater Toledo. Michelle Carlson, Programs Coordinator explains: "Artomatic 419! celebrates the diverse and exciting artistic talent of the greater Toledo community. The non-juried format of the event encourages local artists of various backgrounds, interests, and talents to join together in enthusiasm, effort, and collaboration, to create an energetic art experience for the diverse Greater Toledo community." Create. Show. Experience. Artomatic 419.
Artomatic 419! aims to transform an underutilized indoor space into a temporary, but amazing art experience. The first Artomatic 419! was held at 1717 Adams Street in Uptown Toledo in September of 2006. Over 100 local visual artists and 40 local performing arts groups filled 12,000 sq ft of underutilized space with their art and creativity. Approximately 5,000 people attended the event during its four Saturdays.
In September of 2007, Artomatic 419! presented a condensed event, called Artomatic 419! Lite at Fort Industry Square in downtown Toledo. Over the Saturday and Sunday of the event, 3000 visitors enjoyed the talents of over 150 local visual artists and 50 local performing arts groups distributed throughout 25,000 sq ft of under leased commercial space.
The 2009 Artomatic 419! event has the participation from over 200 visual artists and over 50 local performers. "The Toledo area has a vibrant, energetic arts scene and we are excited to be able to showcase that talent and share it with the community," exclaims Joel Washing, ACGT Board Member and Artomatic 419! co-chair.
Participation in Artomatic 419! is open to all artists until the venue is full - including painters, photographers, sculptors, graphic designers, musicians, poets, actors and dancers. Artomatic 419! is an non-juried event, so all artists are welcome, from professionals to beginners. Dustin Hostetler, ACGT Board Member and Artomatic 419! committee member, states: "The spaces for visual art get filled up rather quickly, with some returning artists sharing new work, as well as many artists who are new to our venue and some who have never shared their artwork with the public before."
