Art-O-mat - How Cool is That?

What exactly is an Art-o-mat?

They are old cigarette vending machines that have been converted into mini-art vending machines. How cool! This was introduced in 1997 in North Carolina by an artist named Clark Whittington. Now everyone can afford a piece of art, as the price is only $5. I had my first experience with Art-O-mat about five years ago. My mom and I went to a Lyle Lovett concert at the Ky Center for the Arts. We found the unique machine and my mom treated me. I got a little handmade book, that I still have to this day. Included was the artist's name and email address. I had not thought much about it since then as I don't get to the Center for the Arts very often. However, in the January 2009 issue of Southern Living, I was thrilled to see that Art-O-Mat lives on!

There are 82 of these across the country and you can find a location near you by going to their website. There are two locations in Kentucky and Ohio and several in IN and IL. There's even a machine in Canada and Austria.

If you are creative and your art can be sized into a small box (like a cigarette package) you may want to consider sending them a sample to see if you are selected as one of their participating artists. Artists receive 50% of the sale price (or $2.50)for each item sold. Obviously it's not about the money, it's the fun of creating art and sharing it with people across the U.S. All of the details can be found on their website.