You're just as likely to run into a game of Pac-Man or Street Fighter II today in the basement of a diehard collector of retro 1980s arcade games as you are to play one in the corner of a pizza parlor or bowling alley. But one Rutland collector is putting more than a dozen of the machines together in a pop-up exhibit showcasing the games, their history and the value of playing together.
Nick Grandchamp is the co-creator of the Dream Machine II Arcade Exhibit at the West Street Gallery at 150 West St. in Rutland.
![Two kids play a game of Pac-Man at the Dream Machine II Arcade Exhibit during the April 7, 2019 opening.](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/dc42d39/2147483647/strip/true/crop/512x828+0+0/resize/880x1423!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Flegacy%2Fsites%2Fvpr%2Ffiles%2F201904%2Fvpr-vermont-edition-classic-game-arcade-exhibit-rutland-20190417.jpg)
The “pop-up” exhibit offers a collection of classic arcade games that are free to play for all. It's open to the public Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 6-9 p.m.
Exhibit co-creator B
Grandchamp joins Vermont Edition to share how his hobby led to a gallery exhibit, why he thinks the games belong in an art gallery and the value of playing the games on the original machines and in a public space.
Broadcast live on Thursday, April 17, 2019 at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.