Artomatic 419 is Back! The Arts Commissionʼs Beloved 3-Day Arts Event Returns After 10 Years

The Arts Commission is thrilled that, based on popular demand and years of requests by local artists, Artomatic 419 will return to Toledo for the first time since 2015! 

This weekend, September 19-21, at the Erie Street Market. Entry is free and open to the public. Artwork, food, and drinks will be available for purchase. 

This multi-day event provides indoor exhibition space to more than 100 visual artists, and also offers main stage and small stage performance areas for music, poetry, film, and other literary and performing artists. 

Artomatic 419 celebrates the diversity of arts in Toledo in an accessible, inclusive format, builds community among artists, and increases awareness of, and appreciation for, the quality and breadth of Toledo arts.

The Artomatic 419 model brings together artists to co-create and execute this unique festival experience that numerous Toledo artists credit with getting their artistic careers off the ground. 

Acclaimed local artist and  Artomatic 419 Event Committee member, Amy Beeler said, “When I first participated and attended Artomatic 419, I found an inviting environment to share my work and connect with other artists in the area…The event and the atmosphere it creates are inspirational and lively, filled with the passion that each artist shares with their community. I am thrilled to be part of this event again and believe it will be another Artomatic 419 that we’ll be talking about for years to come.” 

Event Schedule: 

Friday, September 19 | 5pm - 9pm 

Saturday, September 20 | 2pm - 10pm 

Sunday, September 21 | 11am - 3pm

Performance Schedule: 

Performances organized by Lucas County Poet Laureate Jonie McIntire and Culture Clash Records owner Tim Friedman.

Pink Stage – Saturday, September 20

• 2:30–3:30pm – Dani Cotter (music)
  
• 3:45–4:15pm – Glitch (Isabel Zeng) (performance art)
  
• 4:30–5:15pm – Thrace (music)
  
• 5:30–5:45pm – JZL (violin/rap)
  
• 5:45–6:15pm – Glitch (Isabel Zeng) (performance art)
  

Violet Stage – Saturday, September 20

• 2:00–3:00pm – Ether's Creek (music)
  
• 3:15–3:25pm – Luma of Solumira (dance)
  
• 3:30–3:50pm – Little Joe (poetry)
  
• 4:00–4:50pm – Not Dead Yet Poets (poetry)
  
• 5:00–5:10pm – Nessa Morningstar (dance)
  
• 5:15–5:40pm – Kerry Trautman (poetry)
  
• 5:50–6:00pm – Khaleb Coleman (monologue/play)
  
• 6:15–6:30pm – FAMED Studios (dance)
  
• 6:45–7:40pm – Performative Poetry (poetry)
  
• 7:45–8:00pm – Spoken Truth (poetry)
  
• 8:00–9:30pm – ToledoPoet.com (poetry)
  

Violet Stage – Sunday, September 21

• 11:00–11:15am – Tooleedoo Puppet Review (puppet show)
  
• 11:30am–12:20pm – Risa Cohen: Sing into Reading (music for kids)
  
• 12:30–1:00pm – House of Spice Bellydance (dance)
  
• 1:15–1:45pm – Evin R. Daniels & Ruby Music (music)
  
• 2:00–3:00pm – WritersShop Writing Workshop (poetry)
  

Orange Stage – Saturday, September 20

• 2:15–2:45pm – heavenorohio (music)
  
• 3:00–3:30pm – goLab (music)
  
• 4:00–4:45pm – Naked Eye (music)
  
• 5:00–5:30pm – The Aegela Dance Company (dance)
  
• 5:45–6:30pm – Riley Sager (music)
  
• 6:45–7:00pm – Molly's Irish Dancers (dance)
  
• 7:30–8:15pm – Goalpost (music)
  
• 8:30–9:00pm – She Speaks (music)
  
• 9:30–10:00pm – The Heartthrobs (music)
  

Orange Stage – Sunday, September 21

• 11:00am–12:00pm – EMP (music)
  
• 12:45–1:15pm – Codex (music)
  
• 2:15–3:00pm – Eddie Bean (music)

Film Schedule

Saturday, September 20

• 2:15pm (3 min – G) – Tha Interview
  
• 2:20pm (8 min – G) – A Kid and His Camera: Story of Nick Amrhein
  
• 2:30pm (5 min – Not Rated) – Marcia K. Culp
  
• 2:45pm (11 min – PG-13) – Triggered
  
• 3:00pm (18 min – G) – Homebody
  
• 3:45pm (20 min – G) – TSA Video Production Studio Films
  
• 4:30pm (10 min – G) – Eulogy for the Second Face
  
• 5:00pm (40 min – G) – To Whom I May Concern: Discussions on Living with Dementia
   (Issue Box Theatre & Dementia Support Community)
  
• 7:00pm (1 hr – PG-13) – The Ride to Nowhere
  
• 8:15pm (11 min – PG-13) – Triggered
  
• 8:45pm (3 min – G) – Tha Interview
  
• 8:50pm (8 min – G) – A Kid and His Camera: Story of Nick Amrhein
  
• 9:00pm (5 min – Not Rated) – Marcia K. Culp
  
• 9:15pm (5 min – R) – Couldn’t Be Here Without Being There: Story of Shane Smith
  
  

Sunday, September 21

• 11:15am (40 min – G) – To Whom I May Concern: Discussions on Living with Dementia
   (Issue Box Theatre & Dementia Support Community)
  
• 12:30pm (18 min – G) – Homebody
  
• 1:00pm (20 min – G) – TSA Video Production Studio Films
  
• 1:30pm (10 min – G) – Eulogy for the Second Face
  
• 2:00pm (1 hr – PG-13) – The Ride to Nowhere
  
  

“The strength of Artomatic 419 is its diversity and the countless connections it builds between people, organizations, and audiences. Disparate creative folks work together to create an event, a show, with a cohesion that allows one to see a rendering of the local creative community. It allows artists and performers to get some reps in their chosen field of creativity and offers a showcase for their talents that is accessible to anyone who wants to attend. 

It's a snapshot of the creative community at a moment in time. A convening of creative people who might not ordinarily meet, in a venue that would otherwise sit empty and unexplored. The sensibility of the community enlivens the space. Every person is invited, regardless of their level of expertise or years of experience, to contribute to making this event successful”, said Kelly McGilvery, Artomatic 419 Event Committee.

Visit https://theartscommission.org/events/artomatic-419 for more details. 

History of Artomatic 419
The first Artomatic 419 was held at 1717 Adams Street in Uptown Toledo in September of 2006.  Over 100 local visual artists and 40 local performing arts groups filled 12,000 sq. ft of underutilized space with their art and creativity. Within several months after this event, the building at 1717 Adams was rented out after seven years of vacancy. 

After 6 exhibitions showcasing Toledo’s vibrant arts community, Artomatic 419 was postponed following the ever-changing needs of the local creative community and the shrinking availability of large scale space. The 2017 press release quotes, “The changing nature of Toledo and its creative community, as well as the unprecedented redevelopment of the city's downtown, are just a few factors whereby The Arts Commission invites creatives of the 419 to participate in dialogues that will shape Artomatic 419 and possible future programming.” This change led to the Momentum Festival, an annual celebration of Toledo’s arts and culture from 2017 - 2024. 

In 2024, Artomatic 419 returned as part of the Momentum Festival, bringing together over 60 local artists for a three-day exhibition at the Gardner Building. 

About The Arts Commission
The Arts Commission is the longest standing arts commission in the state of Ohio, founded in 1959, administering the City of Toledo’s One Percent for Art Program since 1977. The Arts Commission is supported in part by the Ohio Arts Council and by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts.