Tiny Art Vending Machine Debuts in Clemson

What costs fifty cents and is smaller than a cell phone? Why, art, of course.

In March of this year, the Clemson Arts Center debuted its Tiny Art Vending Machine. A repurposed sticker vending machine, it offers artwork sized 2 ¼ by 4 ½ inches in exchange for two quarters.

“We wanted to help artists earn a little bit of money and bring affordable art to the community,” said Joan Rossini, director of the Clemson Arts Center.

Artists bring in their artwork in packets of 20 and are paid $1 per piece (more than the pieces are sold for) on delivery. The art must be flat and family friendly. “Artists can make anything they want that fits into a piece of folded cardboard,” said Rossini.

Currently, four local artists are participating though more are welcome, especially in anticipation of Artisphere, the arts festival held in Greenville May 10-12. “We run the Art Lab and will bring the machine with us,” she said, estimating a need for 400 pieces.

So far, 100 pieces have been sold through the machine, which is located in the arts center. Customers have included people who come to events and parents of children taking classes there. The tiny art has ranged from linocuts of an octopus to small watercolor paintings.

In the future, additional machines might be purchased to be placed at additional locations.

For more information or to submit artwork, contact Rossini at jrossini@cityofclemson.org.