West Palm Beach’s Art Vending
By Ava Bourbeau
Photos by Cailin Byrne
From appetite satiation to artistic satisfaction, vending machines have now accomplished it all. In West Palm Beach, the Flamango Vending machine feeds the soul with affordably priced art pieces by Palm Beach County artists.
Founder Meghan McKenna, 1909 entrepreneur, was inspired by the nostalgia of vending machines and the drive to support local artists. She also had a unique vending experience that she resonated with and wanted to recreate locally. “I purchased a small, illustrated print of a stingray; it’s framed and hanging in my house now. It’s always stuck with me, that I bought it from a vending machine,” Meghan said.
The machine — refurbished for its new purpose — is lined with art pieces like prints, stationery, mini canvases, stickers, jewelry and more. Art on offer is always rotating with around 40 artists being cycled on a regular basis, and 25 to 30 artists being featured at one time. Some names you may recognize are Sarah LaPierre (@thickpaint), Pia Dugger (@piafauna), Tiffany Tesauro (@drops. of.jupiter.made), Corey Morrow (@coreylovescolor) and Lisa Kaw (@lisakaw).
It’s so much more than a breakroom centerpiece — Flamango Vending has catalyzed talk like only an office water cooler can. The machine made an appearance at SunFest, is constantly relocating around CityPlace and was debuted at Clematis by Night. Outside of physical locations, Flamango Vending has been spotted in pages and browsers all across the county. Rightfully so.
Now, let’s address the feathered, pink bird in the room. No, Flamango is not a typo. A combination of flamingo and mango, Meghan landed on this name because of the uniquely Florida iconography. “I read somewhere that the post office carries extra boxes during mango season since so many residents ship them all over the country. That’s how I see Flamango Vending, something small and special, from Palm Beach County that is meant to be shared and appreciated,” Meghan said.
This “small and special” project was made possible by the Mini Placemaking Grant by the West Palm Beach Downtown Development Authority. The purpose of these grants is to make “spaces” into “places” by connecting a location with a meaningful interaction. Nothing “small” or “mini” about that.
Meghan shared, “I realized that the vending machine was more than a machine, it fit the criteria of ‘placemaking’ because it provides a chance for activation and connection in an otherwise under-utilized space. I realized my potential business idea fit all the criteria they were looking for, and I had possibly discovered a way to help fund the purchase of my first vending machine. It was the perfect fit!”
Finally, someone is making carrying change cool again. The machine actually only accepts credit cards and Apple Pay, but we’re leaning into the vintage vibe.
Check the Instagram bio for an up-to-date location and, please, no shaking the machine.
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A new Mini Mango has entered the scene. This tabletop, compact vending machine is located in the Garden District Taproom and its 14 slots are filled with the same high quality and variety of art by local artists. This mini masterpiece was created in partnership with Jess Kirby (@kirbys.art), a local surrealist artist, who took inspiration from “The Birth of Venus” for the artwork on the machine. See instead: The Birth of Flamingo. Datura flowers on the sides are also an Easter egg nod to Flamango Vending’s conception at 1909, the West Palm Beach co-working space and business accelerator.
