Artomatic is coming to Frederick!

Artomatic, a non-profit organization created with intentions to support open-entry artisans in the D.C. community, began in 1999 and has become quite an exciting event in the metro area. So what does D.C. have to do with Frederick? Well, other than it being less than an hour away from us, what happens in D.C./Baltimore usually floats our way eventually, which is why I'm smitten with this little artist-friendly town.

Nearly four years ago, the local school system finally decided to compile all four Board of Education offices that operated throughout Frederick County and have one massive BOE building downtown. Sure, they already had a headquarters downtown, but it wasn't even close to being large enough to house all the offices... plus it was in need of millions of dollars in rennovations, that unfortunately, were much more expensive than starting from scratch. That brings us to 2010 when they opened the doors to their beautiful new office building. But what was going to happen with the landmark location on Church Street?

(old office)

(image)

(new office)

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It's been the question in a lot of discussions recently, and that's when Artomatic stepped in!

Yes! Artomatic is to be held in Frederick this fall (September 28-November 6)! I can't even believe it. Although the plans had been in the works with the Frederick Arts Council, I didn't hear about this until last night and I am so excited to share it with all of you!

So here's the deal. Artists have until September 9th to sign up for a spot in the building. The building can house over 300 artists! Each spot is $100. Each artist is required to pay the fee plus donate a few hours of their time helping out with the event. Now--let's say you're a gal like me that has a pretty busy fall season ahead and you're not quite sure if you can handle another big event--I'm just donating my time! That's right, I signed up to be a greeter for the event a few Sundays. If I can't give my art, I will surely give my time!

I'm really excited about this for a few key reasons.

1) More art in Frederick is never a bad thing.

2) Autumn is my favorite season for art... and life in general... ;)

3) Frederick is gorgeous in autumn!

So, come on out folks. If you're a metro-area resident, it will be worth your journey. Many locals have already signed up (did you know Frederick has always had a large artist demographic?), but there are also quite a few visiting artists looking to get their work introduced in a new community! Fun!