'Making art more accessible': Art vending machine at Vancouver mall gives local artists a boost
A creative new vending machine has popped up in downtown Vancouver, but it's more of a miniature art gallery than a place to find snacks.
Founder Crystal Lau tells CTV News that the idea for a local art vending machine was born during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"I have a lot of friends who are artists and there were a lot of restrictions around art galleries and markets. So it was tough for them to feature their work and sell their work," she says.
"I thought this would be a good way to feature artists' work. I think it's about making art more accessible for both the artists and the general public."
Lau launched Vancouver Vending Co. in partnership with Downtown Van – the local business improvement association – less than a month ago, but is already seeing artwork fly off the shelves.
"It's taken off a lot faster than I expected, so a lot of things already sold out and we're looking to restock soon," she says.
Currently, there's one art vending machine set up in the Garden Court of Bentall Centre. But Lau hopes to one day add more.
"I think this one is going to have a bit of a pop-up model where it's going to be at the Bentall Centre for the next three months and then the next location is to be determined," she says.
"I just started out, but the goal is to have more around the city."
The vending machine will feature a rotating selection of local artists as items sell out, and a portion of the proceeds will go back into the business.
"The funds that we make go towards purchasing more art for the machine and donating to local art organizations in Vancouver," says Lau.
One of the biggest challenges facing many artists, Lau says, is that sometimes they don't receive payments right away.
"For this project, to make it more secure and cater to the artists more, I buy all of the artwork upfront from the artists so they don't have inventory sitting in the machine they're waiting to sell."
Lau says the items inside the vending machine range from $1 to $60, with everything from art prints and stickers to earrings and other accessories.
There are about 10 to 15 artists being featured in the project, including Emily Whiting, David Camisa, Rowan Wright and Queer Reads Library.
"A majority of them are queer, trans, BIPOC artists from the community," says Lau.
Lau hopes this project makes it easier for budding artists to showcase their work.
"You don't have to have a crazy portfolio or lots of inventory ready to go to participate," she says.
It also makes art more accessible for those who might be too intimidated to visit an art gallery, Lau adds.
"You can go browse at your own pace and just kind of dip your toes in the local art scene in a way that feels comfortable for you."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.