Why Didn't I Think of That!?! #1 - Art-O-Mat - The Ultimate Upcycle
Introduction
I thought I would start a little series, and I couldn't think of a better way to kick it off than this idea and company that originated in my city, Winston-Salem, N.C.
You may or may not have heard of us.
Our main claim to fame is the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company which manufactures famous cigarette brands such as:
- Winston
- Salem
- Camel
The RJR building downtown looks like a mini Empire State Building...because it is! It was built first by the same architect, so each year on Father's Day, we receive a card from the Empire State Building. Truth.
Not a smoker? Me either.
This makes what I'm about to share even cooler, so, let's yap about it.
Art-O-What?
Art-O-Mat!
You may even have heard of it, or seen one as they are located all across America. There is a machine in Austria, and two in Australia. We're trying to get to you, World!
What Is It?
An Art-O-Mat is a repurposed cigarette vending machine. Back in the day, these machines were EVERYWHERE dispensing cigarettes to the masses. In more recent times, they have been banned in various states and countries since they make cigarettes easily available to minors.
The days of selling cigarettes may be over for these machines, but now they vend something even better -- ART!!!
(Gasp!) How Did This Happen?
Clark Whittington is the genius artist behind this wonder. Having recently moved to Winston-Salem over 20 years ago, he was set to have his first gallery show. He ended up taking a retired cigarette machine and modifying it to dispense his black and white photography mounted on blocks.
The idea was so novel...that machine remained in place until 2010.
Clark ended up founding Artists in Cellophane, the parent company responsible for Art-O-Mat, with a group of other artists. They celebrated 20 years this summer (2017).
These Things Are Retro Atomic Razz-ma-tazz!
These machines are beautiful. Yes! I'm talking about a cigarette machine! See for yourself.
Each machine is different, and much of the time, AIC consults with various artists to create the motif. Most of this is documented on their blog.
Are you glad you opened up this post yet? If not...wait for it...
Get YOUR Art in an Art-O-Mat!
The most exciting part is that you can apply to have YOUR art dispensed via an Art-O-Mat machine! I can't breathe!
There's a process, and it's a bit um, complicated.
Due to the fact that this is a mechanical machine designed to dispense packs of cigarettes, your art must be the exact size of, well, a pack of cigarettes.
(Artists who enjoy working small rejoice!)
The process for being a part of Art-O-Mat includes developing a prototype according to their strict guidelines, and submitting it to them for approval. You can get a kit that makes it super easy for less than 20 bucks.
If you are approved and you send over a batch of your art for sale, you will receive $2.50 per piece. The art vends for $5. You won't get rich, that's for sure, but you will be a part of something truly amazing.
Here's a link to the detailed submission guidelines, form, and other information.
What Do Y'all Think?
I'm so excited to share this and I bring it to you with a certain amount of pride. I'd love to hear from you. Are you going to apply? Have your even seen an Art-O-Mat in the wild? Do you have a piece of art from one? Comment your brains out! I want to hear all about it!
More Links
Thanks for Reading! If You Enjoyed The Post...
I hope you'll check out my other stuff:
- Learning WordPress with ProWebWriter - and ongoing series of tutorials
- Social Networks Paying or Trading in Crypto - A Steemit Un-Competition Overview
- Create Snazzy Title Graphics with Canva
- How to Back Up Your Steemit Articles
- Self-Publishing with ProWebWriter on a ZERO Budget - This is an ongoing series with currently 5 parts
- That Time in 2012 When I Saw UFO's!
- Where Are You Sleeping Tonight, Amelia? - I've been known to write a poem...
- Warm Summer South - ...or two
My second account - https://steemit.com/@quietdeluxe/
Steem on!
Five bucks a pop! That's highway robbery! Who would put that amount of money into a cantankerous machine?
Wait, this is 2017, not 1970... just ignore the outburst. please
Indeed, it's pretty cheap, but it is true to their mission.
thank you for sharing valuable information.
That is very good; if you put your vending machine in the right spot, Nice post i liked the idea.
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