York: artist Lara Cameron gives old vending machine new lease of life

Lara Cameron bought the machines from Facebook Marketplace and has filled it with artwork by herself and other local artists.

The machine can be found upstairs in the Drift café in Clifford Street and the artwork inside can be bought for £1 which goes to charity.

Lara told The Press the charity will change with time – currently it is 1-2-1 Counselling York, which offers short term mental health counselling.

The vending machine is upstairs at the Drift café, Clifford Street (Image: Lara Cameron)

The 23-year-old former Huntington School pupil said she noticed people on social media creating artwork in their community and her mind turned to doing the same in York.

Lara decided to start the project to highlight the work of other artists, while also helping out in the community.

“I wanted to make it community based. I’ve got a few arty friends, so I wanted to involve them in the project,” she said.

“It’s been incredible so far – it’s catching a lot of people’s attention.”

She said children and adults have stopped to look at the machine and people have told her it is a “great idea”.

Lara, who lives near Hungate, described herself as creative but said she only started making artwork this year.

Now, she works on her art when she is not behind the bar working as a bartender. 

“I have always been really creative but making artwork is only something I have done myself for the past six months,” Lara explained.

“All my personal art is inspired by folklore and mythology.”

Lara Cameron with the vending machine she has filled with artwork (Image: Lara Cameron)

Recently, she said her artwork has focused on lino printing – created when an artist carves an image into a block of linoleum and uses a roller covered with ink to print a design from it.

She has also been using old bottle tops and wine corks to create artwork for Christmas.

Lara said she has been collecting these from bars in the city centre.

“At the moment, I have been going around town collecting old bottle tops and corks then giving them a Christmas theme,” she said.

“I just get a big handful of corks.”

Her message to people coming to view the vending machine is: “Come and enjoy local artists’ work.”

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Lara urged anyone who would like to donate a piece of artwork to the project to contact her via Instagram (@lara_cameron_art).

“Try to be creative by putting something in,” she added.

Looking ahead, the artist said she is already thinking about her next project.

“Because I have had so much of a positive response, I might do another vending machine but with more lino work,” she said.