By Lyda Dok
Moonlight Vending is a collection of vending machines filled with artistic pieces based in Long Beach.
The machines cater towards art made by artists and creators, rather than the traditional vending machine snacks and beverages.Each vending machine sells everything from art prints to mystery socks.
Moonlight Vending’s main goal is to promote and inspire their work to their customers. They have great aspirations to have their art out in the world.
Katie Kelly, the owner of Moonlight Vending, began the business as a pandemic project.
Moonlight Vending owner Katie Kelly waits for happy customers to order from the machine. Photo credit: Katie Kelly
“When I started Moonlight Vending, I was really looking for a way to connect with my community during the pandemic,” Kelly said.
Pre-pandemic, Kelly was working as a freelance teacher and director. She taught American Sign Language and theater to students from the ages of 7-18. When the pandemic hit, she found herself with no artistic outlet and a lot of uncertainty of when theater would be back.
It was during this time Kelly saw a video about Venderia in Portland, Oregon and it sparked her imagination. The Venderia is an art gallery, convenience store, thrift shop and an oracle all in one.
“That’s when I started to daydream about Moonlight Vending, a way to stay socially distant and interact with other creative people in my community,” Kelly said.
Kelly believes the vending machines will make art accessible to everyone and challenge the idea of what art can be. That is what Kelly means to accomplish with these machines.
Moonlight Vending hopes that through the anonymity of using their machines, people will learn about the artists in their local communities and create a connection through their works.
“My top three products are the Zines by Bratty Bre, personalized tarot readings by the Dark Exact, and the ramen purses which we just got back in stock and will be back in the machines last week,” Kelly said.
Moonlight Vending currently four vending machines. One is located at Black Ring Coffee Roasters in Long Beach and the other at Long Beach Airport. Their third machine is located in Anaheim at Requiem: Coffee, Tea, Fantasy. The fourth machine is in the garage and will be placed sometime this month.
“When people encounter one of the machines out in the world, I mainly want them to think, ‘man, that’s a cool vending machine,’” Kelly said.
To learn more about Moonlight Vending, visit their website.
