art*o*mat

I discovered this project a few months ago and have been so amused/intrigued by the idea that I've gone back to look at the website several times. It's called the Art*o*Mat:
Art*o*mats are retired cigarette vending machines that have been converted to vend art. There are 76 active machines in various locations throughout the country. That country would be the US of A, to those of us who don't live there but wish our own country had such a fantastic way to recycle these retro monsters -- artworks in their own right. From the website:

Artists in Cellophane (A.I.C.), the sponsoring organization of Art*o*mat®, is based on the concept of taking art and "repackaging" it to make it part of our daily lives. The mission of A.I.C. is to encourage art consumption by combining the worlds of art and commerce in an innovative form. A.I.C believes that art should be progressive, yet personal and approachable. What better way to do this, than with a heavy cold steel machine?

Here are two of the things you might get after hearing that satisfying ker-plunk (the first made by Steve Upton, the second by Cheryl Frances):