Art*o*mat® Installed at Albuquerque Balloon Museum

The Anderson-Abruzzo International Balloon Museum Foundation has millions of visitors through its doors for Albuquerque's famous Balloon Fiesta and now they've got one more. And "she'll" be staying a while!

Meet the newest member of my ArtomatNM family, this gorgeous 20-column vintage cigarette machine-turned-art-vending-machine painted by North Carolina artist Jennifer O'Kelly. Beautiful hot air balloons festoon the front, sides, and backside of the machine against a backdrop of Albuquerque's skyline complete with Sandia Peak.

Hot air balloon themed Art*o*mat painted by Jennifer O'Kelly -just in time for ABQ Balloon Fiesta Oct. 6-14, 2018

I can't believe today is finally here! Installation Day at a dream venue!

Delivering the new Art*o*mat® to the ABQ Balloon Museum with help from Corky Brown and Louis Correll

Executive Director Jill Lane meets us at the door

Louis and I move the Art*o*mat® to its new home in the gift shoppe

Executive Director Jill Lane tries out Art*o*mat®

Madison Block, the Museum Foundation's Communications Manager, helps show how beautiful the Art*o*mat® is from the back. Artist Jennifer O'Kelly made a special effort to make it attractive from all angles.

Art*o*mat® is at home in the Balloon Museum Gift Shoppe. "She" looks as if it's been there all along!

You can visit this Art*o*mat® every day except Monday at the Balloon Museum's Gift Shoppe:
9201 Balloon Museum Dr. NE
Albuquerque, NM 87113
505-880-0500
Open Tues-Sun 9 am to 5 pm

Museum admission is FREE from 9 am to 1 pm on Sundays.

New Art*o*mat® Machine Update

Hieronymus has created a masterpiece!

Greetings Art*o*mat Friends and Fans!

I have some lovely news to share: This Art*o*mat® by painter, Hieronymus, is finished and on its way to New Mexico! Hieronymus (Hiero) is a graffiti artist and this is his interpretation of Art*o*mat® -what a colorful result! I cannot wait to see it in person. It will be installed in Albuquerque at the Range Cafe (Rio Grande location) at 1050 Rio Grande Blvd. NW soon. Stay tuned for details.

Art*o*mat® in progress: painter Jennifer O'Kelley has captured ABQ's Sandia Peak in the background of this hot air balloon themed machine to be installed in the Anderson-Abruzzo International Balloon Museum.

Also, painter Jennifer O'Kelly is hard at work on the 20 column Art*o*mat® that will be installed in the Anderson-Abruzzo International Balloon Museum in a few months' time. I'm really excited about how very Albuquerque this machine is going to be. You can already see the outline in the background of Sandia Peak -the mountain that frames the city and gives it its very special hot air ballooning phenomenon, The Albuquerque Box.


And finally, ArtOMatNM now has its own local Facebook and Instagram in addition to artomat.org's national pages. Get social and share some pics, ideas, likes, bleeps, bloops, and interwebz stuff with me!

Coming in 2018: My Art*o*mat Family Grows by 2

This 20 column cigarette machine from the 60's will soon become an Art*o*mat®

Greetings and Happy Spring Art*o*mat® fans and friends!
I have exciting news to share:  In 2018 I will have two more "members" added to my "Family" of Art*o*mat® machines here in northern New Mexico. I am pleased to report that Albuquerque will be home to both of these machines: one will go to the Range Cafe (Rio Grande Blvd.) restaurant and the other (pictured above) will go to the Anderson-Abruzzo International Balloon Museum.

Installation dates for the new machines are undetermined but they will be here in time for Balloon Fiesta (October 6-14). Artist Jennifer O'Kelly has begun work on the Art*o*mat® for the Balloon Museum and it will be covered with her whimsical hot air balloon paintings.

The Art*o*mat® for the Range Cafe Rio Grande Blvd. location has been worked on by painter Hieronymus and he's created an amazing-looking Art*o*mat® in his graffiti style.

Until then... Art*o*mat® is seeking NEW ARTISTS. If you or someone you know is interested in creating art for these repurposed cigarette-machine-turned-mini-art-galleries please visit the Artists' Submission Page at artomat.org and learn how you can market your art by becoming an Art*o*mat® artist.

Happy New Year From Your Local Art*o*mat® Host

Dear Fans and Friends,

Wishing you a Happy New Year and a great 2018!

I've taken a few pieces from my latest shipment of Art*o*mat® art from Artists in Cellophane and a few from my permanent collection and arranged them in a 2018 sign on my flagstone porch in the gorgeous New Mexico winter sunshine. What better way to ring in the new year! Thanks to all the artists** who make such wonderful works of pocket-sized art.

I am really looking forward 2018. I've been enjoying success and buzz from my 6 machines in Santa Fe, Bernalillo, and Albuquerque since I began this crazy journey here in 2013 and though I can't reveal any details yet I can say that there are some exciting new developments coming this year on the Art*o*mat® front in New Mexico. Stay tuned for announcements....

Until then: be safe, be happy, and most of all, "Don't Go 'Round Artless!"

-Victoria 

**Artists in Cellophane works shown (in no particular order):
Clark Whittington, Chad Beroth, Jeny Callender, Justin Vasey, Jeannie Massey, Dior Brown, Debbie Lewis, J. Elder Art, Andy Brzeczek, Marie Kensic, Emily Long, Harold Garrison, Jody Lewis, Paula Griffin, Debbie Page Harris, Dennis Wells, Nell Whitlock, Colleen Woodward, Beatriz Portela, Paige Matlock