1011 South Washington Avenue
Minneapolis , MN , 55415

Phone: (612) 215-2650

Website

Artist, Alyssa Baguss, has put a new twist on an old machine. The Minnesota Artists Penny Press (MAPP), features the artwork of four Minnesota artists that can be imprinted onto crushed copper coins. Since 2021, MAPP has traveled through galleries, museums, public libraries, and schools, allowing guests to collect contemporary Minnesota artwork made in their communities. For just two quarters plus one penny, a curious buyer can turn the crank that turns the gears, churning out their own itty-bitty piece of collectible local art. All proceeds go towards supporting future experimental public art projects.
“I want to make collecting contemporary artwork fun and accessible,” Baguss says. “Art is such a valuable thing in our culture and a lot of people don’t feel like it’s for them. I want to change that.”
Baguss acquired the machine in 2021 and featured four women artists from Minneapolis and St Paul for the first round of pennies. A second edition of artwork highlighting Minnesota artists living and working outside of the Twin Cities toured greater Minnesota in 2023. And in 2024-25, students at local colleges can encounter the project. Following it s college tour, the machine currently resides in the public atrium at the Open Book Building in Minneapolis, MN.

This building is open to the public from 9am-6pm daily.
Fresh pennies are available at the machine or information kiosk.

Machine 1: (2026) The designs at Open Book on the outskirts of downtown Minneapolis are FREE for a limited time, but I'm not sure how long that will last.

Machine 1:
1) Marina Castillo- Outline of the state of Minnesota with cacti,
2) Lela Pierce- Kneeling woman bending over backwards with snake coming from her naval,
3) Nancy Ariza- Bear in a rowboat,
4) Kyle Tran Myhre- "Always Breaking Never Broken".

As of February 22 2026 the machine is out of order, but still has pennies on top waiting to be pressed. Willing the machine is fixed.