What is Art*o*mat®?

What is Art*o*mat®? Created by Clark Whittington in 1997, Art*o*mat® machines are retired cigarette machines that have been converted to VEND ART! For only $5 you can collect paintings, drawings, sculpture, photography, jewelry, glass, mixed media and more -all the size of a pack of cigarettes. There are over 100 active machines in various locations throughout the country. Victoria Brown (that's me), and El Centro de Santa Fe are proud to host the first machine in New Mexico which debuted in February 2013. There are now 8 machines in northern New Mexico (Santa Fe and Albuquerque area). @ARToMatNM on Facebook/Instagram

Thursday, October 1, 2020

Enjoy the Little Things: Art*o*mat® is Alive and Well and Waiting for YOU to Ker-Plunk...

 As news changes so quickly these days in pandemic-land, it's been hard for me to guesstimate when any sense of normalcy will return to everyone's lives. Here in New Mexico we've been pretty safe, and I'm glad to report that there are more and more business openings happening. High-touch-factor places like Meow Wolf are still not allowed to open but I have 7 out of 8 Art*o*mat® machines ready and waiting for YOU to visit.


Come to the following venues, be prepared to socially distance, wear a mask if they require it for entry, and get rid of those pesky FIVE and ONE DOLLAR BILLS 'cuz everyone is getting all heebie-jeebie about cash these days anyway. KER-PLUNK your way to a bit of cigarette-box-sized art enjoyment and support artists at the same time!

As they say in the 2009 classic zombie-smashing flick Zombieland, Rule #32 of Zombie Survival: Enjoy the little things... 


So I just had to show n' tell this awesome Zombie Sam L. Jackson painting by Artist in Cellophane Patrick Harris. It is from my personal collection (not for sale) but I thought it would fit perfectly with the zombie apocalypse vibe I got going on in my feelz today. 



Open and Ready for your patronage right now:
(please check with each venue for up-to-date hours and restrictions)


Art*o*mat® in Albuquerque:

1. Balloon Museum ~ Fear not. Balloons will fly this October (but you're not allowed to hang out in large groups to watch this time). The museum and Gift Shoppe are open and strict social distancing rules are in place. The whole place is a nonprofit and they don't charge sales tax for gift shoppe items so drop by and show some support while you ker-plunk the "Up and Away" balloon-themed Art*o*mat®.

Open 9-5 Wednesday through Sunday
9201 Balloon Museum Drive, Albuquerque



2. Range Cafe, Central Ave.
~ Blink and you could've missed it, but the Standard Diner is now a Range Cafe. The widely popular chain by co-owner Matt DiGregory is unstoppable and he's taken advantage of the pandemic to do some remodeling and has plans for more growth on that block (live music, grab and go food). They even created a special featured nook, fitted with electrical outlet, just for Art*o*mat® to live.

Don't worry if you were gaga for Standard's bacon-wrapped meatloaf. It and several other winners are still on the menu at that Range Cafe location.

Open daily for outdoor and limited indoor dining, take out.
320 Central Ave. SE, Albuquerque




3. Range Cafe, Rio Grande Blvd. ~ Still open and still going strong. Plenty of parking even though they acquisitioned some of the parking lot for an outdoor seating area.

Open daily for outdoor and limited indoor dining, take out.
1050 Rio Grande Blvd NW, Albuquerque

4. Range Cafe, Bernalillo ~ Still open and still going strong. Plenty of parking even though they acquisitioned some of the parking lot in back (including the handicapped spaces) for an outdoor seating area.

Open daily for outdoor and limited indoor dining, take out.
925 Camino Del Pueblo, Bernalillo



Art*o*mat® in Santa Fe:

1. Inn of the Governors ~ The good folks at this downtown hotel didn't take a break all pandemic long and have definitely gotten creative with their outdoor parking lot-turned-dining-area for Del Charro Saloon. The Art*o*mat® machine is still in the lobby so visit and grab a green chile cheeseburger too.

Open daily, Del Charro open for outdoor and limited indoor dining, take out until 10 pm.
101 W. Alameda Street, Santa Fe

2. El Centro De Santa Fe Gallery Mall ~ Some galleries in the mall have since closed/relocated since the pandemic but it's not a total ghost town. The turquoise Art*o*mat® stands strong in the hallway, ready for ker-plunking, so please visit and wave to the hardy gallery folk neighbors who are making the best of their situations.

Open Daily until 5 pm, Sundays until 4 pm.
102 E. Water Street, Santa Fe

3. Caffe Greco ~ Since they have a great patio on Canyon Road, these folks have been able to keep on keeping on through the waxing and waning of art-loving tourists coming to town.

Open Wednesday through Sunday until 5 pm for outdoor and limited indoor dining, take out.
233 Canyon Road, Santa Fe