'Artomatic': Treasures Hiding in Plain Sight

Your Own Worst Enemy Award. Memo to Victoria Walchak: Looove the sublimely milky white-on-white encaustics, but did you have to cram so much other, um, stuff on the wall? Sorry, but the electric plastic Christmas candelabra has to go.

Junior Achievement Medal. If Ariana Paredes-Vincent has this good an eye at age 7 (yes, 7, according to the wall label next to 19 shots of the artist's feet), I'd love to see what she's up to in 20 years.

Literary Laurels. Publishing under the pen name Brash, the self-styled poet-in-residence of "Artomatic" has made it her mission to pen little bits of verse inspired by the art. Taped to the walls throughout the show, Brash's poems, occasionally as hard and brilliant as diamonds, are far from doggerel and often outshine the art.

ARTOMATIC 2007 Through May 20 on the sixth and eighth floors of 2121 Crystal Dr., Arlington (Metro: Crystal City). http://www.artomatic.org. Open Sundays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays from noon to 10; Thursdays from noon to 11; Fridays and Saturdays noon to 1 a.m. Free.

Numerous public programs and performances are offered every day the exhibition is open. Selected events include:

Friday at 6 Meet the artists. Many will be available to talk about their work.

Friday and May 18 at 9 Fire dancing by Capital Fire Arts. Outdoor courtyard.

Saturday at 6:30 and May 12 at 7:30 Live music from Milkmachine. Electric Stage, sixth floor.

May 13 from 3 to 5 Coiled paper basket workshop with artist Elizabeth Lundberg Morisette. Participants are asked to bring recycled paper, a stapler and staples, glue, a ruler, a pencil and acrylic gel medium (optional). Lapis Auditorium, sixth floor.

May 20 at 7 Live music from Lady in the Radiator. Electric Stage, sixth floor.

Thursdays at 7:30 and 8:30 Artist-led tours, offering visitors idiosyncratic perspectives on the exhibition's top 10 artists. Meet at the Amber Bar, eighth floor.