There's a new hot spot in town. No, it's not a bar or a club; it's a Whole Foods Market in the urban heartbeat of Houston.
“The wine and beer bar is such a neat feature and the barbeque bar is such a neat thing and I love the coffee bar. It's huge,” said Allison Perry.
Shoppers have always known Whole Food's for its natural and organic eats, but this store looks like an art gallery.
“This community is so into the arts so around the store you'll see 6 works of art from local artists that they had to live specifically in this area,” said Community Relations Coordinator Kimberly Crowder.
“I'd say it's better than being at the museum of fine arts,” said featured artist Pen Morrison. “It's a great opportunity because a lot of people come here and enjoy coming here and I’m really excited about having my art hanging here. “
After shopping for fresh produce and fish, how about buying an original piece of artwork from the Art-O-Mat for only $5.
“It's a refurbished cigarette machine,” said Crowder. “What happens is you put $5 in and you get a little piece of art about the size of a cigarette box.”
Artist David Brown created this artwork hanging in the stores outdoor eating area.
“Having a piece of my current work kind of brings it full circle from being a grocery bob, to an executive to now just me as an artist,” said Brown.
Brown says the Art-O-Mat brings art to a level where anyone can relate.
“I think art can sometimes be intimidating, especially contemporary art, and so by having an art-o-mat it sort of breaks that down a little bit and it becomes a little more approachable and more personable because we've all had some experience with a vending machine,” said Brown.
So instead of paying to see the art at a museum, why not come check out these masterpieces and pick up some wine and cheese on the way home.
