A new vending machine has made its way into the building, but it won’t give you your iced tea and pop-tarts; it dispenses art. The new art vending machine can be found in the art hallway. Art teacher Mr. Helming, has created it to give student art a new meaning. Helming is using this machine to “get students art work outside of the building.” He knows that his students are talented and he wants the community to know that they are talented.

“People know the athletes, but nobody knows the visual artists,” Helming said. Helming also wants the students to feel part of the art community.

“There is this disconnect,” Helming said, “People think art is pretentious.” His idea for the vending machine is allowing students to be part of the art world without being rich or an artist.

Senior Micaela Menchaca said ‘It’ll get them more involved in art.” Menchaca has used the machine herself many times and is part of the buzz she hears in the hallways. Helming has gotten the attention of students in the hallway through his pieces in the past, and they always get more students involved with art.”[I want to] connect the artist with the community through their pieces.” The candy machine aspect attracts people and makes the experience a little gimmicky. But Helming likes that “candy and toy machines grab people.”

Helming said this “allows students to own an original piece art.” Every piece that Helming puts in the vending machine is different, and though some are similar, there are differences in shape or color. The machine dispenses each piece’s certificate of authenticity, which is signed and dated by the artist who made the piece.

“The creativity and innovation of having them hand make a machine and put in a piece of themselves is cool,” Menchaca said.

Helming also allows some of his students have a part in the process of creating items for the vending machine. He takes pieces of their work and shrinks them small enough to fit in the machine. Helming also wants this to be a big loop connecting back to his students. Helming plans on using the money to bring in professional artists and further the talent of the Noblesville artists.

This isn’t only affecting the school. Many other places such as art galleries, venues in downtown Indy and other schools have asked Helming to bring his idea into their establishments. Helming has pride in the trend he started and hopes it continues to grow and build the art community in Noblesville.