Art-O-Mat turns 25

This year marks the 25th anniversary of Art-O-Mats — retired cigarette vending machines converted to sell small art pieces instead. The original machines were manufactured decades ago by Gallins Vending in Winston-Salem. Last month, Art-O-Mat founder Clark Whittington was brought back full circle to the very source of his livelihood.

Back in 1997, following anti-smoking regulations, Gallins employees were busy decommissioning cigarette machines and preparing them for the scrap yard. Local conceptual artist Clark Whittington acquired many of them, refurbishing and loading each one with local art for sale at venues across the country. Late last year, an email inquiry from the Triad caught Whittington's attention: The granddaughter of Gallins Vending co-founder John Gallins wanted to surprise her 96-year-old grandfather with a machine of his own.

“And I was a little surprised that I was the one that still had one,” says Whittington. “I gather that when you're in the heat of the moment and you're having to scuttle to make up for whatever's coming down from legislation, they weren't very nostalgic about these machines.”

Whittington, however, is. He brought a unit from the late 70s out of storage. After days of scrubbing, detailing, and rewiring, the good-as-new machine now resides in Grandaddy Gallins' basement rec room for the family and great-grandkids to see when visiting.

His granddaughter Kelly Williams is an elementary school teacher. She says it's been an interesting journey from her first encounter with an Art-O-Mat while chaperoning students years ago on a Reynolda House Museum field trip to today.

“I guess I just think it's really cool how they — my grandfather and his brother Gus — started their company and they made their livelihoods off of vending machines,” she says. “And then Clark has now done the same thing but in a totally different way.”

Williams says her grandfather who's now 96 years old was thrilled by the surprise.