The Allegany Arts Council's Saville Gallery is proud to be a host site for our very own Art-o-Mat® machine! The Art-o-Mat® project is the creation of North Carolina artist Clark Whittington, who takes retired cigarette vending machines and "converts" them to vend art. There are approximately 100 active machines in various locations throughout the country, including the one in the Saville Gallery, which is located at 9 N. Centre Street in Downtown Cumberland's Arts & Entertainment District.
Each machine is unique, and a work of art in its own right. Our machine vends artwork created by twenty-two different artists from across the country. Individual pieces of art from the Art-o-Mat® machine sell for just $5! While the experience of pulling the knob alone is quite a thrill, you also walk away with an original work of art created by one of the 300+ contributing artists currently on the Art-o-Mat® roster. Since Art-o-Mat® is also about growing interest and awareness for the arts in the communities they serve, artists from throughout the local area are encouraged to participate in the project. Artists interested in learning more about selling artwork through the Art-o-Mat® project are encouraged to follow this link.
Next time you're in Downtown Cumberland, be sure to stop by the Saville Gallery to enjoy the current exhibition on display, and to experience our amazing Art-o-Mat® machine for yourself! For questions about the Art-o-Mat® machine in the Saville Gallery, please email Andy Vick at avick@allconet.org.
