The City Department of Sanitation doesn’t just work to clean up the city’s garbage, it works to brighten the streets with art! This truck got special paint job by Timothy Goodman, reminiscent of the late Village artist Keith Haring’s style. Yes, even the driver’s cab got the special treatment. The city is seeking volunteer artists to transform the 46,000-pound collection vehicles into roving works of art in Trucks of Art!, a zero-waste challenge. Artists will be using no-longer-wanted household paints, keeping them from going to waste in landfill. Each truck boasts nearly 400 square feet of “canvas,” paintable surfaces on the trucks’ sides, front and back, for their works. The Department is asking New Yorkers to support this artistic initiative by dropping off their unwanted paints (cans, sprays, tubes) at an upcoming SAFE Disposal Event or the Department’s Special Waste Drop-off Locations. Artists will select the paints they’ll need, and the rest will be recycled or properly disposed. This scene was caught on Charles Street during their regular rounds. Isn’t that fun?
Text and photo by Brian J Pape, AIA
