Ben Claassen III, the artist behind the comic DIRTFARM and the 43rd stranger featured on this site, is taking part in the ongoing Artomatic in Washington, D.C. It’s a multimedia arts festival now in its 25th year, with dozens of local artists exhbiting their work, along with a marketplace where you can meet the creators and buy their art.
The free event runs until Sunday April 28, taking place at 2100 M Street NW. You can find Ben at Artomatic space 666 on the sixth floor, and his Instagram account gives you a good idea of his unique, excellent creations.
Ben lives in Baltimore, and I met him in April 2012 for lunch at the Golden West Cafe. Over a plate of chicken and biscuits, Ben told me about his lifelong interest in drawing and the unusual story behind how DIRTFARM began.
In personal news, I’m looking to restart Dining With Strangers hopefully later this year, so if you are interested in being treated to a free meal while I interview you about your life story, get in touch with me via mail@diningwithstrangers.com
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