Art-o-Mat

     I saw the greatest thing while hiking the Art Walk in Tacoma, and the more I check it out, the cooler it gets.
     Almost all visitor centers around town have pamphlets advertising the Art Walk. This is a gentle reminder to folks visiting the city that there's more here than just Chihuly glassblowing. For goodness sake, there's a college right downtown, you know that small art galleries abound. The guidebook helps track them down.
     What caught my eye right away was something called art-o-mat. The name is reminiscent of the automatic diners of the 40's which I've seen photos of, but have never visited. The description of what the art-o-mat actually was clinched it. It's an old cigarette vending machine that's been refirbished and redesigned to distribute art instead of smokes. Customers buy a $5 token which they then put into the machine and pull a lever to get the art object of their choice. It sounds bizarre and weird and I'm happy to say the machine lives up to it's description.
     The machine has been completely redesigned so it bares little similarity to the cigarette machines I remember from the 80's. Those were bland slabs of chrome and glass with about a dozen long levers across the base. This machine features a neon sign in the face and 4 or 5 'brands' of art to choose from in the center of the unit. I did some online checking and found that the art-o-mat is one of many machines around the country. Their website can be found here.
     Now let's take a moment to be completely honest with ourselves. How much art are you planning on buying in the next week? Or how about next month? Next year? Good Lord, when the heck are you planning on supporting your local art center guy, give me a break!
     Anyway.
     The art-o-matic solves this problem. Not only does it provide artwork for next to nothing, but it allows the customers to become part of the art experience as well. The second you buy a token and make your selection, you're participating in an event that is uncommon and unique. You're being part of a world where art is purchased through a vending machine. It's weird and strange, and unlike anything I've ever seen before. And what more could you ask from art.