Artomatic @ Frederick

Saturday was an action-packed day. That morning I grabbed Ravena, and we headed up to Frederick, Maryland to check out Artomatic. It's been a sad state of affairs not to have Artomatic's annual exhibit in DC (believe they've struggled to find a suitable temporary space), so I was stoked to hear there was going to be an offshoot up in Maryland.

I was not disappointed. All four floors of the old Board of Education building were packed floor to ceiling with art. It was such a great use for this old space and made wandering the rooms, hallways and stairwells an adventure. I've enjoyed past Artomatics held in massive office buildings, but the richness of this year's space added depth and atmosphere that I think makes even the crappiest art look just a bit better. One of the things I seemed to notice more this year was how much presentation and framing of the art affected how much I enjoyed it.




It surprises me how much my taste has evolved. I still notice and feel drawn to things like painted skulls (yes, they were there), but I don't get that same thrill when I see them. Instead, I found myself drawn to natural colors. The photos here are a few of my favorites.

 
Christine Rounds

I wish I hadn't been in such a hurry and had taken a better shot of this display by Christine Rounds. I want her to come to my office and make it look like this.


keepsake/inventory by Deborah Winram 


Sweet Dreams by Rhonda J. Smith 


kokeshi dolls by Andrew Hendricks 

I had to end with this photo of Ravena posing near some Frederick street art. I call this pose 'atonement'. Why? I really wanted to grab barbecue for lunch at Black Hog, but a restaurant centered around a pig isn't exactly vegan friendly. We wound up eating at La Paz, which should have also been great (hello, #1 Mexican food fan here). Sadly, I can now say I've experienced the worst Mexican food of my life. So. Bad. If you follow me on twitter, I'm sure you saw my snarky comments. ;-)