Dana Ellyn   www.danaellyn.com












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"ARTOMATIC"

Washington DC
May 29th - July 5th

What is Artomatic? (from the Artomatic website: www.artomatic.org)

Artomatic is a month-long art festival in DC that is free to the general public celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. Monument Realty and the Capitol Riverfront BID have provided a brand-new 275,000 square foot building to host Artomatic, right next to the Nationals Stadium. The event features nine floors of visual and installation art, theater performances, dance and comedy, three music stages, street performances such as fire dancing and drum troupes, and a film screening theater. Workshops and seminars are held all month long and special events such as the Washington Post's Peeps diorama finalists, the Zombie Prom, Box Racing, body paint shows, and a no-holds-barred Art in Fashion Show.

With four stages, four bars and a lounge on each floor, the 10th Anniversary Artomatic is bigger than ever. 52,500 people attended Artomatic last year, and 70,000 are expected this year. Over 1,000 visual artists and 600 performing artists are exhibiting this year.
 

Dana Ellyn's wall at Artomatic


 

 

nails
Jesus Gets His Nails Done
(at the mall)
12"x16"
acrylic on canvas
SOLD
mardigras
Mardi Gras Faux Pas
14"x18"
acrylic on canvas
SOLD
bovine
Meat Your Maker
12"x16"
acrylic on canvas
SOLD
fargo
Is It Working Yet?
16"x20"
acrylic on canvas
$250
 
darwin
Jesus Performs at Young
Darwin's Birthday Party
30"x40"
oil on canvas
SOLD
popularity
No More 'Mr. Popularity'
20"x20"
acrylic on canvas
SOLD
jesus
What Would Jesus Bake
(Angel Food Cake)
10"x20"
acrylic on canvas
SOLD
gospel
Gospel of Thomas
(Jesus' Early Pranks)
30"x40"
Acrylic on canvas
$500

 
commandment5
Shhh....Mommy's Sleeping
(5th Commandment:
Honor the mother & father.)

16"x20"
Oil on Canvas
SOLD

commandment4
Superbowl Sunday
Praying for a Hail Mary
(4th Commandment:
Remember the Sabbath.)

16"x20"
Oil on Canvas
$300

pope
Pope-nocchio
(9th Commandment:Thou Shalt
Not Bear False Witness)

10"x30"
Oil on canvas
SOLD

jesus
Jesus Flirts with Death Yet Again
20"x20"
acrylic on canvas
SOLD
 
barren
Saint Anthony of Padua
(patron saint of barren women)
18"x24"
Oil on Canvas
$400

prayer
Birds of a Feather
18"x24"
acrylic on canvas
$300



This is the best art event you'll ever attend! More than 1000 artists on view day and night for five weeks of collaborative creative expression.

Dana Ellyn will be exhibiting on the 9th floor.

For more information, directions, etc., please visit: www.artomatic.org


Artomatic
May 29 - July 5, 2009
55 M Street, S.E.
(at the corner with Half Street)
Washington, DC 20003
Metro stop: Green Line, Navy Yard, Ballpark exit
Free admission. Donations accepted

HOURS
Fridays and Saturdays: Noon - 1 a.m.
(except for special events. See calendar).
Sun, Wed & Thu: Noon - 10 p.m.
Closed Mondays and Tuesdays


DANA ELLYN
on her art & religion

My exhibition of paintings at Artomatic this year are expressions and interpretations of my religious observations which are best described as atheistic agnosticism. This means that although I have no personal belief in the existence of any deity, I do not claim to have definitive knowledge that one does not exist.

I grew up being told I was 'half Jewish and half Catholic' but was not taught anything about either religion. My parents never brought me to church or synagogue. When I was 16, I heard my father say he believed in god and I was befuddled because the subject of belief was not discussed at any time before that. In my confusion, I would sometimes look up apologetically at the sky and say "if there is a god up there, you must understand why I don't believe in you, right? Nobody ever told me you existed!"

In college, art history classes were my first real introduction to religion. I was fascinated by the religious rituals depicted in pre-historic art, the polytheistic themes in Greek and Roman art and all of the symbolism and rich history of Christian art. Lacking any substantive prior knowledge, I learned for the first time (at age 18) about the virgin birth of Jesus, Noah's Ark, Adam & Eve and other commonly depicted Christian themes. In class, the gods and goddesses of mythology were presented as fiction and Christian themes were treated as history. But to me, they were all just stories.

Throughout my 20's and 30's, I continued my personal quest to learn more about religion and come to terms with my own belief - or lack thereof. Now, I am finally fully comfortable with painting (and talking about) where I stand on religion. My paintings are not meant to offend. Instead, I hope they foster open-minded discussions. And perhaps induce a giggle or two along the way.
CLICK HERE for PAINTINGS