8th Art*o*mat® in NM Installed! At Range Cafe on Rio Grande in Albuquerque

Art*o*mat® Installed at Range Cafe on Rio Grande in ABQ

Today is the day! We finally got our EIGHTH Art*o*mat® machine installed in northern New Mexico! This gorgeous graffiti-ed vintage National brand cigarette machine has been placed near the foyer inside The Range Cafe On Rio Grande at 1050 Rio Grande Blvd NW in Albuquerque.

Come on down to the Range Cafe On Rio Grande, have a bite (don't forget dessert), and be sure to visit the newest Art*o*mat® while you're there. A noted graffiti artist that goes by the name Hieronymus is responsible for the striking paint job on this machine. And you'll find great original works of art by Art*o*mat®'s "Artists In Cellophane" inside it -for only $5! Open daily 7am-9pm. For other Art*o*mat® locations in northern NM click here.
Special thank yous to Louis Correll, Laird Brown, Corky Brown, and the Range's Constance Banuelos. I appreciate you all so much!

Range Cafe manager Constance Banuelos buys the first piece of art!

Louis and Laird helped move it. Thanks!

Placing Art*o*mat® in the restaurant

Like all Range Cafes there's plenty of art to see.

1050 Rio Grande Blvd NW Albuquerque, NM

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.

Art*o*mat Installed in Standard Diner in Albuquerque!

Standard Diner, 320 Central Ave SE, Albuquerque, NM Open Daily 7am-9pm

Meet "Black bART"-a repurposed Nantional brand 1950's cigarette machine.

You can find "Black bART" right outside the hallway to the restrooms at Standard Diner.

"Black bART" will live under the Guy Fieri poster (to be replaced) from Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. Standard Diner has several of its creative classic diner dishes with modern flair that Guy featured on his show.

A million thanks to Genie for helping me load/unload and set up again. I can't believe she was up to doing it two days in a row.  I am forever grateful to my friend (who is 72 -and she said I could say that!)

Standard Diner is on Central Avenue -old Route 66. Get your kicks -and some bacon-wrapped meatloaf!

The slick and swanky Standard Diner was once a tire store.

NEW Art*o*mat® Machines to be Installed in the Range Cafe, Bernalillo, on Thursday and Standard Diner, Albuquerque, on Friday!

Here's a new Art*o*mat® with color-changing etched mirror who will live at The Range Cafe in Bernalillo, NM.

If you happen to be lunching at the Range Cafe in Bernalillo, NM this Thursday, November 13th, then you can meet New Mexico's third Art*o*mat machine. This gorgeous plum-colored early-to-mid-50's National brand cigarette machine has an amazing etched mirror with color-changing light effects that glow behind the UFO-looking hot air balloon design by Winston-Salem artist, Charlie Cook. It's really one of the more innovative design concepts I've ever seen in an Art*o*mat®. I plan to be installing this beauty around 11am if all goes well and "she'll" be hanging out in the foyer of the restaurant where hungry patrons wait for their tables and amazing food. If you're in the area come meet who I've been calling "PlumMAT."  The Range Cafe is located on old Route 66 in Bernalillo. 925 S Camino del Pueblo. Open daily from 7:30 am -9:00pm.

Meet "Black bART," the slickest muther of Art*o*mat® machines ever to grace New Mexico! Standard Diner, Albuquerque.

And if you're out to lunch on Friday, November 14th, you can meet the fourth edition to my Art*o*mat® family.  I'll be installing "him" around 11am at Standard Diner in Albuquerque. This early-to-mid-50's National brand cigarette machine is all shiny and black with turquoise and orange pinstriping.  "He's" a real black beauty but since I'm striving to have the words "ART" or "MAT" in the machines' names I'm calling "him" "Black bART." The slick design of this machine matches the vibe of Standard Diner.  The diner boasts creative modern takes on classic comfort food and "Black bART" fits right in with "his" modern take on a classic cigarette machine -serving up healthy doses of art!  You can't miss "him" on your way to the loo... Right under the poster of Guy Fieri. I think Guy would approve! Standard Diner is located at 320 Central Avenue SE in Albuquerque. Hey, isn't that Route 66 too? Cool! Open daily from 7:00am - 9:00pm. Come hungry!

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT! 2 More Machines Coming to New Mexico!

Greetings Art*o*mat® friends and fans! I am really excited to report to you that I am ready to announce the imminent arrival of TWO more Art*o*mat® machines. These machines will have Bernalillo and Albuquerque locations and I am pleased to be hosting them in a family of restaurants that I really admire. Artsy, hip, and serving really GOOD FOOD, The original Range Cafe in Bernalillo and its sister restaurant, The Standard Diner in Albuquerque, will both be getting 1950's National Brand cigarette machines-turned-Art*o*mat®-machines (the same design as "MAThilda").  Although I don't have any photos of the finished machines yet I can tell you that one looks like a slick black bad-boy cowboy boot and the other is a plum-colored ethereal hot air balloon/UFO theme -totally New Mexico! I'll post photos as soon as I get them and have a firm delivery date to report. Woo Hoo!