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Lane Community College, Eugene, Oregon
Public information officer: Joan Aschim, (541) 463-5591, aschimj@lanecc.edu
Monica Shovlin, The Ulum Group, 541-434-7028, mshovlin@ulum.com
For release October 3, 2005
Lane Community College introduces Art-o-mat to Oregon
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Reception and lecture will feature creator of art vending machines
EUGENE - Clark Whittington, creator of the Art-o-mat, an art vending machine, will discuss the inspiration, purpose and results of his brainstorm during a lecture and reception at Lane Community College on Monday, Oct. 10. Held in Lane's art gallery from noon to 2 p.m., the event will unveil Oregon's first Art-o-mat, a retired cigarette machine converted to vend art. Lane's gallery will host the machine and the machine will also make special appearances around the county during the summer months.
There are 80 Art-o-mats in use throughout the country, featuring the works of more than 400 artists. The Oregon Art-o-mat will have one slot available for the work of Lane Community College students; the rest of the slots will dispense artwork by artists from around the country. The pocket-sized artworks range from small paintings, sculptures, poems or any number of concept-driven art pieces.
According to Rick Williams, chair of Lane's Division of the Arts, "We're proud to host this unique concept involving accessible art in an interactive format. The Art Gallery Committee recognizes the educational benefits in featuring artworks by nationally known artists. Art-o-mat provides the added benefit of an opportunity for Lane's student artworks to be included in the project.î He also notes that Art-o-mat is part of the ArtWorks initiative at Lane that is designed to integrate the arts into daily life in our community.
"We're wanting to reach quality investors who haven't taken art seriously before, and to support artists trying to make a living," says Whittington. He notes that at $5 per artwork, the Art-o-mat is intended to encourage people to collect and share art. He says he hopes the machines inspire people to make the leap from Art-o-mat's kitschy-cool to serious art collecting. Proceeds from the Lane Art-o-mat will support the Lane Community College Art Gallery.
Art-o-mats appear in galleries, grocery stores and coffee shops across the United States, including The Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, The Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles and The Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs.
About Lane Community College
For 40 years, Lane Community College has been transforming lives through learning. Rated one of the top two-year colleges in America, Lane has received many awards and accolades for its innovative programs and instruction. Lane is a learning-centered community college that provides affordable, high-quality, life-long educational opportunities, including professional technical and lower division college transfer programs; employee skill upgrading, business development and career enhancement; foundational academic, language and life skills development; lifelong personal development and enrichment; and cultural and community service. More information is available at 2011sitearchive.lanecc.edu.###
