Jon Hendricks performs at Artomatic 419

One of Toledo’s biggest art events is happening this month, and The University of Toledo College of Visual and Performing Arts is in the middle of the action. At Artomatic 419! more than 20 individual visual artists with ties to UT – current students, former students, faculty and alumni – plus five classes have art on display. In addition, six musical groups, a group of student actors, and a faculty puppeteer are on the performance slate.

This community arts event, produced by The Arts Commission and Toledo’s creative community, is held this year at 911 N. Summit Street. Participation in Artomatic 419! is one example of the CVPA’s involvement in the Toledo arts community. Through their participation, students gain connections in Toledo’s creative community and increase community awareness of UT talent.

A few students are gaining first-hand experiences in arts administration and marketing through Artomatic 419!, by participating in semester-long internships with The Arts Commission, Hannah Evans focuses on projects dealing with event logistics, visual arts and volunteer coordination. Caitlyn Witt oversees University outreach, and assists with marketing the event. Aria Johnson designed the Artomatic 419! event programs, which are handed out to each event attendee.

The creations of several UT Art classes are on display this year at Artomatic 419! Their work ranges from the tech-influenced 3D portrait busts of Seder Burns’ Digital Photography class to the personal expression and experimentation of Dan Hernandez’s Explorations in Drawing class to the whimsy of Prinstallation,  an edifice consisting of colorful, ubiquitous images printed on cardboard boxes created during a summer class taught by Arturo Rodriguez. The spring 2013 Gallery Practices class is showing an installation drawn from its Nexus exhibition, focusing on categorization and found objects. Social issues are addressed, as well. One Million Bones, a national project using art to bring attention to social issues in Africa, is represented by a collection of ceramic bones made by students of Karen Roderick-Lingeman and Adam Shiverdecker. Selections from sculpture students are also on display at the event.

Among the UT Art alums in the exhibition: Jody Russ and her site-specific installation of rope and scissors; Helen Grubb and her portraits on shrinky-dink jewelry; Tinola Mayfield-Guerrero, who exhibits with the Launchpad Collective; Courtney Macklin and her tiny hand-bound books to be read while wearing elegant white gloves; Clifton Harvey and his colorful, intricate illustrations; and Hannah Lehmann and Julia Labay, with an installation of shadow puppets seen against screens sewn from clothing and fabric scraps.

Performers have included students Estar Cohen, Dan Palmer, Ben Maloney, and Travis Aukerman; a puppet show by Erica Frank; selected scenes from the spring 2013 UT production of Three Sisters; the UT Opera Ensemble, led by UT Opera Director Denise Ritter-Bernardini; and Jon Hendricks, accompanied by Olman Piedra and Norman Damschroder.

This Saturday, April 27 – Check out these UT performances/events

• 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Brass Quintet with Wesley Forney; Percussion Ensemble led by Olman Piedra; and the Contemporary Arts Ensemble led by Jay Weik. (Violet Stage)
• 3:15-5:15 p.m. Pamela Stover will lead an Orff-Schulwerk Workshop. (Blue Room)
• 4 p.m. Glacity Underground Cabaret, led by Edmund Lingan, will perform (Green Room on the second floor)

The non-juried biennial event provides exhibition opportunities for visual artists and performance opportunities for musicians, actors, filmmakers, and more. Artomatic 419! presents an occasion to meet and interact with all facets of the local arts community, and a space to realize experimental projects for a receptive audience. The event is free and open to the public from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on one more date: Saturday, April 27. The event is located at 911 N. Summit Street and features performances on three stages, in addition to the work of 400+ visual artists on display in several buildings.