Do you remember cigarette vending machines? In the age of smoking in America, they proliferated in public venues. But as smoking became less common, the vending machines gradually disappeared.
In 1997, artist Clark Whittington took one and converted it into a vending machine for small pieces of art. He called it the Art-o-Mat.
The project was popular and Whittington, along with other artists, made more. There are now about 200 in service now, mostly in the United States. This one pictured above is in a Whole Foods location in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Art-o-Mats are great ways for artists to promote their work, earning $2.50 per sale. The guidelines are strict, though, as Whittington describes the mechanical requirements of the machines as "unforgiving."