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A local biz disguises mini art galleries as vending machines at businesses throughout Raleigh, offering a treasure trove of creative oddities.
Forget the soda and snacks—Loot Drop Art Club is serving up a new kind of vending machine. Recently dropped at five locales throughout Raleigh, these transformed treasure troves are art nouveau’d into mini art galleries with limited-run goodies from local artists and makers— everything from stickers and pins to tarot fortunes and handmade toys and games.
“It’s like a side hustle that makes everybody else’s side hustle go a little further,” emphasizes co-owner and writer Ben Loomis. “We’re spending thousands of dollars every year on the local art economy to beef it up and give people more places to sell their stuff.”
Taking inspo from Portland, Oregon’s La Venderia—“the godmother of creative vending in the U.S.,” as Loomis describes it—he and business partner Bunny Eaton realized the East Coast potential. What began as coin-operated machines in Boone has since grown into 24 full-size vending stations across Asheville, Charlotte, Hickory and now Raleigh.
To bring these machines to life, the duo sources used ones online and transforms them into “works of art themselves” at their Foothills Community Workshop in Granite Falls, muses Loomis. Up until the Raleigh drops, in-house lead artist Eaton handpainted all the machines—with new local additions at Wake-N-Bakery featuring a whimsical design by local artist Damalis, Le Dive’s jungle-esque exterior by Vonne Brown, and Transfer Co. Food Hall’s silly striped character by Toasty Tuna.
The facade “amplifies the vibe of the venue without just blending into the background,” says Loomis, who also notes the machines are no cost to the hosting spots. “We try to make it look like it’s been part of the environment there for a while—but still catches the eye. … They basically get a free mural, and then some extra traffic and fun for people while they’re there.”
Inside each of the Loot Drops, treasures run the gamut of goods artists commonly craft like patches, jewelry, zines, souvenirs and other novelties, explains Loomis, to off-the-beaten- path selects “giving artists a chance to flex their creative muscles and work within the parameters of vending machine products. We really love when somebody has a creative idea that’s different, that we haven’t seen before.”
Think disguised chip bags stuffed with a variety of insults ranging from mild to spicy. “We’re able to go kind of weird with it sometimes,” laughs Loomis, nodding to mystery bags of prints donning foot pics—the result of a silly dare. Functional items like nailcare products, soaps and even Wake-N-Bakery’s clay pipes are also at the ready.
Loot Drop Art Club
Loot Drop Art Club
Loot Drop Art Club
Curated and restocked with the help of DTR’s Munjo Munjo, the Loot Drops get a weekly glow-up via new goodies— and there’s an always-open invite for artists to submit. “New people are finding them every day,” says Loomis, who also teases in-the-works community workshops and events coming this summer. “We try to make just a little something fun in everyone’s day—something extra to discover in your built environment.”
It’s a win for the business owners too. “We absolutely love having the Loot Drop machine at Tap Yard,” says owner Zack Medford. “We are a very eclectic bar with an incredible community that supports all things wacky and weird. Loot Drop is perfect for that vibe—it’s mysterious, quirky and fun. Most importantly, it’s a brilliant way to support local artists and creative thinkers.” And who doesn’t love a local trinket? lootdropart.club
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