4 unusual places to find quirky art in the Twin Cities

Most people seek out art at museums and galleries, but sometimes it’s more accessible.

Try art on a penny, in a vending machine and in a tiny museum and miniature gallery.

Pressed coin machines offer souvenirs from tourist spots like the S.S. William A. Irvin historic boat in Duluth.

Artist Alyssa Baguss’ Minnesota Artists Penny Press project allows visitors to buy artwork pressed onto a penny for 51 cents.

“It’s often hard to get people to feel comfortable engaging with contemporary art or public art,” Baguss said.

The penny-printing machine changes that dynamic. Baguss is one of several Twin Cities artists who have discovered ways of bringing art into more public and accessible places. This makes the art more welcoming and ensures it’s affordably priced and fun to experience.

The current selection of custom-made penny-pressed art is by artists Maryam Khaleghi Yazdi, Allegra Lockstadt, Lamar Peterson and Camilo Villalvilla.

“If there are no pennies in production and commercial spaces or retail spaces discourage pennies, that means there are more pennies in people’s piggy banks, pockets or jars to press in a penny press,” she said.

The penny press has a semipermanent home at Open Book in downtown Minneapolis, and it also travels around the state. Most recently it was at a public library in Duluth.

Penny presses are familiar but there’s nothing more ubiquitous than a vending machine.

Artist Sarah Wolf, founder of Back of Beyond Press, came across an old vending machine on Craigslist two years ago. She bought it for $200 and installed it — dubbed the Art Mat — in the hallway outside of her studio at the Q.Arma Building in northeast Minneapolis.

“Right now [it has] a lot of tapes and stickers, but the first year I did it, I had a lot of art collages,” Wolf said.

The Smallest Museum in St. Paul — a 3-foot-by 2-foot museum in a vintage fire-hose cabinet outside of Workhorse Coffee Bar in St. Paul — hosts the tiniest exhibitions.

The current exhibition, “Coffee Builds Community,” by artist Aubrey Lee is a little village made entirely of coffee stir sticks.

Founder Shannon Forney started the project after working with arts nonprofits and theater companies that closed.

“Part of my focus with this is that it should be small, doable, not fussy,” Forney said.

The museum started in 2014 and has hosted nearly 40 shows.

Forney is able to pay artists, keep costs low and not have to pay rent. She runs Workhorse Coffee Bar with her partner.

Sustainability and accessibility also are key at the Tiny Art Gallery in front of Look + See Eye Care in Minneapolis’ St. Anthony Main neighborhood.

Look + See Eye Care founder and optometrist Sarah Jerome started the gallery. When AEG Vision bought the business, keeping Tiny Art Gallery was part of the deal.

Optician Rena Nevels keeps the gallery going. An artist herself, she curates the shows and fields pitches.

“This is the first time I’ve had the opportunity to relax and let my artsy-fartsy person out,” Nevels said. “It’s great to be able to help other artists show their work.”