If you haven't stopped by Washington, DC's Artomatic, I encourage you to check it out before it closes on June 15^th. During this month long, multi-media event, the Copyright Alliance joins over 1,000 local artists and organizations in promoting the endless artistic talent of the metro area.

Completely run by volunteers, the visionaries of Artomatic seek to intentionally break down social and cultural barriers by offering this free event in a different location each year. This year held in a large nearly completed warehouse-like space in Northeast DC, nine floors of innovative ideas, executions, performances, and readings wow artists and visitors alike.

It is no wonder that artists of all ages, backgrounds, disciplines, and abilities flock to show their creations at this landmark event. (This year I saw an 11 year old boy proudly display his drawings and sketches. During the artists' meet and greet evening, he came beaming with his parents, siblings, and grandparents. He informed me that this is his first art show ever.) 

The Copyright Alliance has a presence in the Visual Arts Resource Center (VARC) on the 6^th floor along with about twenty other local arts-related organizations. This library-like room offers Artomatic participants a place to sit, socialize, and become familiar with local arts organizations by browsing an array of resources and materials.

As I have chatted with both artists and visitors about the importance of copyright and how it intersects with the interests of creators, I have had my assumptions continually confirmed: most artists yearn to maintain protection of their creative works. They relate the time, sweat, and care that was put into the execution of a painting or sculpture to that of raising a child. Just as a parent has the right to let her child attend public or private school, an artist wants to continue to have the right to decide whether or not his work should be sold, given away, or reproduced.

But what artists don't have a problem doing is sharing ideas. When talking to any artist at the show, conversation inevitably turns to various techniques used, places of inspiration, or future endeavors. Ideas flow freely as excitement and critique become the center of an exchange. As both the artist and viewer walk away, each carry something that didn't exist before: a transformed look at the world and bit of inspiration to pursue something great.

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 28th, 2008 at 3:32 pm by Lucinda M. Dugger and is filed under creators. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.