Jewel Brown has always had an interest in creative pursuits, and her desire to promote the work of other artists actually led her to another one: machine repair.
Brown, the program manager at Factory Two, a community makerspace in Flint, had brainstormed ways that some of the makers and artists at the facility could promote and sell their work. A broken vending machine that had been donated was sitting around, and initially she thought that could possibly be repurposed to accomplish that goal. That machine ultimately didn’t work out as intended, but it led to an expanded idea: creating a platform for artists to sell their work at locations around the community.
“Someone suggested that I find an old cigarette vending machine, so I looked it up right away and found a very affordable one a couple states over that the woman selling it was willing to hold for me,” Brown said. “So I got in a truck and I went and got my cigarette vending machine from Illinois and brought her home. It was no longer something that I was envisioning as a project for Factory Two, but rather something I wanted to do on a little bit bigger scale and involve more of our local arts community.”
That machine eventually became known as the first hub for MAR[T]KET. It launched in March of 2025, originally at Soggy Bottom Bar and is currently living at Kew’s Korner. Artists are able to fill out a simple application to have work sold in the machine as spots arise. Brown purchases their work up front for $3 per piece and the small items are sold for $5 each in the machine, with $2 going back to MAR[T]KET for maintenance and other costs of providing the service. Brown’s network of artists she’s worked with and featured continues to grow.
“I have a network currently of about 60 artists, which is wonderful,” she said. “So there’s a lot of mainstays. Some of the names you’ll see in the cigarette machine are the same, pretty consistently. I also have some best-sellers who I put their artwork in and it’s gone nearly immediately once people know that it’s there. I have some rotating artists as well, people who will put stuff in and then I won’t hear from them for a few months, and I’ve had some artists that have only been featured once. I try to keep a good mix of what’s in there at a singular time.”
The popularity and uniqueness of the first machine has expansion on the horizon. Brown now has three sticker vending machines and a large coil snack vending machine that she is in the process of preparing to launch at various locations in the community. But acquiring different types of machines has required her to pick up on new skills, as simple machines are works of art in their own right that require specialized care.
“I’ve become such a fan of simple machines since starting this,” Brown said. “I have never interacted with them before, but each one of the machines that I get, I completely disassemble and take them apart and put them back together so that I can have a better understanding of how they work. Like, a cigarette machine from the 1970s is not coming with a user manual. So I have to be completely in charge of how it works and really understand their inner workings. I have gained a real appreciation for the machines.”
Brown is a Flint native and says that she’s primarily a graphic artist, but she also is passionate about many other artforms. She was involved in theatre when she was younger and loved doing props and set work. She also loves working with stained glass and the environment at Factory Two gives her the chance to use specialized equipment and learn techniques from artists in other mediums.
“I think I’ve always just been a creative person,” Brown said. “I dabble in a lot of different things and I do most of the things we offer here at Factory Two – textiles, laser engraving, leather working, linoleum carving, wood carving. Stained glass really is my favorite though, and where you’ll see a bulk of my physical art come from. But I really enjoy multimedia art types and seeing different ways that different materials can interact with each other.”
Beyond her own passions, though, Brown is motivated by creating opportunities for more Flint artists and makers. She currently has locations in mind for her three smaller sticker vending machines, and is hoping to finalize a location for the large coil machine by summer and get all four out into the community. There’s currently a fundraiser to help cover costs of getting the machines ready for use, moving them, and other up front costs for getting them out to the community. Donations can be made online. The Linktree, Instagram, and Facebook pages also have contact information and other resources.
“My vision for MAR[T]KET originally was to showcase artists and have an affordable way for people to be able to access local art and as an entryway point for local artists who often have felt that they were not allowed space in other places,” Brown said. “So accessibility on all fronts was the initial vision.”
Even if artists don’t have work to be displayed in the vending machines, Brown encourages people working in creative spaces in Flint to fill out the application so that they can become part of her network. In the past, she’s been able to connect artists with opportunities that she sees come up.
“I often will reach out to artists that are in my network about vending opportunities or event opportunities,” Brown said. “People have started to come to me to look for artists for specific things. I’ve been able to refer graphic design artists to people who are looking for them, or if people are looking for a specific style of commission for their home. Even if the cigarette machine is not something that you’re wanting to be involved with specifically, or the sticker machine, it’s great for me to be able to have your contact as a local artist to reach out as opportunities arise.”
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