This is one of the 30 sticker machines created by the Pawn Works Sticker Club, run by Nick Marzullo (from Chicago, featured here in the blog) and Seth Mooney (NYC). Each sticker costs only 50 cents and they're incredibly fun to collect. The PWSC manages to keep such low prices because they operate basically at a not-for-profit level. Their goal is "to provide people with a tangible piece of art at a low cost while connecting artists from around the globe." The artists can have their work printed in high quality vinyl for free and have it distributed for them. They get 10% of the stickers back for their own use as well.
According to Nick the idea came out of the love for stickers he and his business partner Seth Mooney shared: "We thought of working with street artists to have stickers that were cool to us to this day as the Sponge Bob and sports stickers are to children.". Their concept is totally original. Nick explains there are other sticker trading groups, but they're the only ones making stickers for artists and distributing them through vending machines.
The reason why I'm showing this is because 1. IT'S DAMN COOL! 2. It's street art, Chicago Looks features street fashion, so we all share the same space, and 3. The PWSC has intervened in the pictures being exhibited at the Chicago Looks show. Some of the stickers sold at the machines can be seen among the portraits at Heaven Gallery.
In Chicago their machines can be found at:
In NY they rotate from shop to shop and they are currently at the Brooklynite Gallery, Factory Fresh and Factory Studios.
They also have a machine at The Business record shop in Anacortes, Washington, and many more being customized by their roster of artists. See who they are here.
