Hand-Painted Garbage Trucks Launched by the New York City Department of Sanitation -ARTnews

The New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY), no stranger to art programming, has released its newest project, titled “Trucks of Art,” in which five new vehicles from the department have rolled out with hand-made designs painted on them. From over a hundred artists that submitted work, five were chosen: Dister, Misha Tyutyunik and Victor A. Saint-Hilaire in collaboration, Lady K-Fever, a class from Energy Tech High School who created their mural over the course of a semester, and Jillian White.

The designs were diverse: while Dister illustrated the city’s own sanitation workers, Lady K-Fever doused her truck with flora and fauna. The trucks were debuted and launched into action from Times Square, joining the rest of the New York City fleet where they can be seen on trash day. Practicing sustainability was a must for the artists, who used cans of paint collected from the Department’s SAFE Disposal Events and Special Waste Disposal Sites.

Kathryn Garcia, New York City’s Sanitation Commissioner, stated in a release, “These Trucks of Art truly are works of art, and they’ll beautify our cityscape while reminding New Yorkers that they’re our partners in keeping New York City healthy, safe and clean.”

Lady K-Fever highlighted her goal of underlining the environmental impact of waste through her piece, noting, “We’re experiencing a global garbage problem, and I designed my mural to make people think about the beauty of our environment. Putting this design on a Sanitation truck also reminds people just who helps them take care of our environment – DSNY!”