Application Spotlight: Art on Wheels
Thomas Printworks helped the Houston Arts Alliance transform six recycling trucks into mobile artworks featuring location artists.
The Houston Arts Alliance (HAA) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit arts organization that exists to enhance the quality of life and tourism in the Houston region by supporting and promoting the arts through programs, initiatives and alliances.
HAA distributes over $3 million in grants to approximately 220 nonprofit arts organizations and individual artists. In addition, HAA manages the city's civic art collection of 450 artworks, as well as new acquisitions.
Six Art Recycling Trucks, working City of Houston recycling trucks transformed into mobile artworks by local artists, are out on the streets! This innovative project celebrates the City of Houston’s commitment to ‘going green,’ furthers Civic Art + Design’s placemaking mission, and showcases artworks by local artists Pablo Gimenez-Zapiola, CORE Design Studio, Aaron Muñoz, Troy Stanley, Ariane Roesch and Kia Neill.
Between 2013-2014, SWMD drastically expanded its citywide Automated Curbside Recycling Program with the goal of providing single stream recycling services, over 640 square miles to 380,000 homes. “The art wraps on the recycling trucks help draw public attention to the fact that these trucks are utilized in ‘repurposing’ materials that would otherwise be considered trash. Over the past several years, the City of Houston has made substantial progress in its recycling efforts. Having these trucks in the public arena helps to create awareness and participation in the program,” explains SWMD Director Harry Hayes.
The ‘Wrap’ Process
Art Recycling Truck artists were strategically selected from a 2013 open call and by a panel of professional Houston artists. From this pool, six Houston artists were commissioned to produce artwork to be transferred onto six Automated Recycling Program vehicles. The original works of art featured on the vehicles, alongside smaller versions of the designs, are now part of the City of Houston Municipal Art Collection.
Kicking off the design process, artist Pablo Gimenez-Zapiola photographed a City of Houston recycling truck then digitally manipulated the photograph to create a white-washed, blank canvas version. SWMD then provided vector drawings and detailed dimensions of the truck. Utilizing Adobe Illustrator, 3D CAD renderings, and other methods, the artists broke their designs down into five panels. These panel designs were sent to Thomas Printworks who printed them on Controltac vinyl and applied them to the trucks by hand.
Once ‘wrapped,’ the Art Recycling Trucks were immediately put to work, collecting recyclable materials from Houston residents’ homes. On Wednesday, August 13, 2014, the six Art Recycling Trucks were publically unveiled outside of The Houston Zoo at Hermann Park, then drove in procession around the Houston Museum District.
