NEW YORK — Artists will have a unique opportunity in New York City. This is because the Department of Sanitation, (DSNY, for its acronym in English), announced that it returned Trucks of Art, o Art Trucks, an opportunity for artists to creatively paint agency vehicles.
Trucks of Art is open to all artists: professionals, amateurs and aspiring.
Priority will be given to proposals that encourage New Yorkers to use landfills and recycling or those that honor DSNY Essential Workers. To promote sustainability, artists are challenged to use paints that would otherwise be thrown away or recycled.
“The Sanitation fleet is part of our urban landscape, and we’re thrilled that New York City artists are transforming collection trucks into traveling works of art that will add a little flair to our neighborhoods,” said New York City Commissioner Sanitation, Jessica S. Tisch. “We’re excited to have our ‘canvas’ used by local artists to encourage New Yorkers to keep our city clean.”
WHAT THE OPPORTUNITY IS ABOUT
Volunteer artists will transform the 46,000-pound collection vehicles into works of art.
Trucks of Art is a zero waste challenge: artists will use household paints they no longer want, preventing them from being wasted in landfills.
Each truck features nearly 400 square feet of “canvas,” and artists can take advantage of the sides, front, and back of the trucks in their works.
WHAT IS LOOKING FOR IN THE PROPOSAL
This year’s program focuses on keeping New York City clean, so proposed works that encourage New Yorkers to use trash cans or honor New York’s strongest essential sanitation workers will have a better chance of being selected.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
- DSNY will review the submissions and select the artists, ideally from each county.
- This is a volunteer project. The artists will not be paid, will retain the rights to their designs, and will give DSNY and the Sanitation Foundation the right to reproduce the designs.
- Each participant will receive work space, paint and tools. Vehicle paint experts will be available to provide guidance.
- The types of paints will vary dramatically, from donated household latex paints to spray paints. There is no guarantee of colors or types of paints.
- Designs must be flexible to accommodate small areas of the truck that cannot be painted.
- Each artist will have three 7-hour days to paint a collection vehicle.
- The trucks will be unveiled at a DSNY-led media event and will be on display to the public before they are assigned to routes.
- Artwork will be sealed with a clear coat and will remain on trucks for the life of the design.
UNTIL WHEN CAN I APPLY?
- Artists have until Sunday, September 18, 2022 at 11:59 p.m. to submit their proposal. Expressions of Interest are welcome.
- Mid-September: Selected artists reported and provided times and places to paint.
- End of September/beginning of October: Painting days.
- Early to mid-October: media event, public display(s).
- October: Vehicles begin routes.
HOW CAN I APPLY
Those interested in applying should email a brief description of their idea with design mockups and why they would like to be selected, along with contact information and a brief bio to [email protected] before September 18 at 11:59 pm
In the email add:
- Contact information: Name, postal address, email address and telephone number.
- Brief description of the artwork: Describe how your art encourages recycling or honors the DSNY
staff. This can be up to 250 words. - Your motivation: Explain why you would like to participate in Trucks of Art. This can be up to 250 words.
- Mockup design: Your artwork must overlap the provided images of the truck, and
You can also include images of your standalone truck designs. If you create designs by
hand, then you should photograph or scan your work and include it in your email. - Short biography: Help us get to know you!
Full details of the project Trucks of Artincluding full filing information, are available on the Application for Expressions of Interest here.
USE: The Department is asking residents who support this initiative to drop off unwanted paint (cans, spray cans, tubes) in a SAFE elimination event proximo or in the Places of Delivery of Special Waste from the Department. The artists will select the paints they will need and the rest will be recycled or disposed of properly.
