The Local Girl 
Vending machines that sell miniature art pieces have been all over our social media, and now Fairfax has its own mini art machine. The machine will feature local artists, and it debuted at the recent Fairfax Fall Festival. The first artist to be featured is George Mason University alum Ash Smith. The machine is located at Commonwealth Brewing Co., located at 10426 Main Street in Fairfax. Read on for more about the new mini art vending machine and the local artist featured.
Photo courtesy of the City of Fairfax
About the Art Machine
The machine is a partnership between Fairfax City Economic Development (FCED) and the City of Fairfax Parks and Recreation Department. “This playful project is a creative way to promote area artists while bringing art directly into our community,” said Christine Vincent, Acting Cultural Arts Manager, Fairfax City Parks and Recreation. The initiative aims to promote area artists through an accessible, interactive platform and provide an opportunity for residents and visitors to experience and collect local art.
Read more: Piece by Piece, this Herndon Artist Makes her Mark
The coin-operated machine takes four quarters to vend a one-of-a-kind art piece. “For just one dollar, you receive a small art print, which could make a big impact. Art is for everyone, and the joy and beauty art offers us is even greater when shared,” Christine said.
The first artist whose work will be featured in the machine is Ash Smith. Ash is a 2022 graduate of George Mason University with a BA in Art and Visual Technology with a concentration in Drawing. Ash Smith is an illustrator and comic artist based in Fairfax, Virginia. Their work consists of illustrations, comics, and zines both traditionally and digitally drawn. They create character-driven stories of mundane scenarios mixed with magical or spooky elements.
Portrait of Ash Smith, the artist. Image courtesy of Ash Smith.
The series of work in this debut collection is called “Ghost Occupations” and features nine different ghost-centric artworks. “Within my art, I love sharing stories of the mundane mixed with the magical or spooky. Drawing ghosts started as a way to represent myself without a gendered lens but became a way to connect shared experiences with a wide audience,” Ash said. “For the vending machine project, I was excited about the collectible aspect — I wanted to create art that people would want to collect as a complete set. I also wanted to represent occupations found in businesses and venues throughout Old Town Fairfax. So ‘Ghost Occupations’ felt like the perfect fit for this project. As a GMU student, Fairfax Old Town became a comfort away from home and I was excited to represent it in this small way.”
See more: Cars and Coffee: A Weekend Tradition Throughout Northern Virginia
The machine debuted at the Fairfax Fall Festival and will be at Commonwealth Brewing Company, located at 10426 Main Street in Fairfax, from October 16th onward, for a limited, to-be-determined time. It will then be at the City of Fairfax Holiday Craft Show, November 15th-16th, 2025.
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