The New York City of Department of Sanitation launches open call for artists to adorn its trucks with large-scale works
The New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY), a city agency with an “oddly excellent” TikTok presence per Curbed, has revived its Trucks for Art campaign after a three-year hiatus. For the initiative, artistically inclined New Yorkers of all backgrounds and experience levels are invited to submit proposals for mural-based overhauls of the DSNY’s fleet of 46,000-pound collection trucks. As noted by the DSNY, each truck boasts 400 square feet of blank “canvas”—front, sides, and rear.
Trucks for Art is a zero-waste endeavor and, as such, selected artists are only permitted to use unwanted household paints that would otherwise be disposed of to adorn the trucks; the public is invited to donate their own unwanted paints—in can, spray, or tube form—at forthcoming SAFE disposal event or at a DSNY special waste drop-off location. These donations will be used by the participating artists to complete their designs, and any remaining paints not used will be properly disposed of by the agency.
While the DSNY does not specify how many design proposals will be selected, it does note that submissions with recycling or anti-littering themes, along with those that pay tribute to “New York’s Strongest” will be given preference. (Four artists plus a student team were selected out of the nearly 100 applicants that participated in the 2019 edition.)
“Sanitation’s fleet is part of our cityscape – and we’re thrilled for New York City artists to transform collection trucks into roving works of art that will add a bit of flair to our neighborhoods,” said DSNY Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch in a press statement. “We’re excited for local artists to be using our ‘canvasses’ to encourage New Yorkers to keep our City clean.
The Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEI) makes explicitly clear that Trucks for Art is a volunteer-based public art program and those selected to realize the designs over the course of three 7-hour workdays will be doing so with no compensation for the design itself or subsequent labor involved with painting the hulking vehicles. While the DSNY’s solicitation for gratis art for its fleet certainly didn’t stop New Yorkers from participating in the 2019 iteration of the program, the move has raised some eyebrows this time around.
Graffiti artist Andre Charles called out the DSNY on his Instagram account, noting: “Artists should be paid just like everyone else.” In a subsequent interview with Hyperallergic, Charles said that other artists had been in touch with him after seeing his post and thanked him for pointing out the fine print regarding the compensation-free nature of the program.
In addition to its interview with Charles, Hyperallergic published an emailed statement from the DSNY in response. In the statement, a spokesperson clarified that Trucks for Art is “fun, non-commercial, community-based project,” and emphasized that participating artists will retain all rights to their work. “We are excited to work with local artists who want to help add some flair to our neighborhoods,” the spokesperson said.
Expressions of Interest will be accepted by the DSNY up until September 18. The winning proposals will be announced in mid-September with paint days to follow later in the month and into October. The department will hold a media event day to unveil the freshly decorated trucks in mid- to late-October before they officially hit the streets in high-style later that month.
