Arlington Art Truck
The Arlington Art Truck delivers cultural experiences to where you live, work and play. Outfitted with both digital and traditional creative tools, this ordinary van is a mobile tool box for artists-in-residence to engage you in the creative process! Between April and October, Arlington Arts will curate projects ranging from a pop-up gallery or workshop, to an impromptu performance. Immediately recognizable, the Ford Transit Van was hand-painted by internationally known artist and Fulbright scholar, Stephen Powers.
Recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts grant, the Art Truck is part of Arlington Cultural Affairs’ mission to bypass the traditional ‘four-walled’ model of a gallery or venue. Some art activations also will integrate a ride-along service to provide info and access to other County resources. From the farmer's market to the football field, look for the Arlington Art Truck... it'll be where you least expect it!
Upcoming Events
Please note: Schedule subject to change due to weather or other conditions. Be sure to check our Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for updates.
ARLINGTON ABSTRACTED by Marc Pekala
September 15- Nauck Civic and Community Pride Day, Drew Model School, 12-6pm
September 23 - Columbia Pike Farmer's Market, Walter Reed Drive and Columbia Pike, 9-1pm
September 29- West Columbia Pike Food Truck Party, Four Mile Run Drive and Columbia Pike, 11-2pm
September 30- Arlington Valley Fest, 2709 South Oakland Street, 12-5pm
October 6- Columbia Pike Fall Festival, Adams Street and Columbia Pike, 1-6pm
DATE TBA - Washington and Lee High School (not open to public)
October 20- Marymount Farmer's Market, Marymount University, 2807 North Glebe Road, 9-1pm
October 31-in front of the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City (with Arlington's Mobile Visitors Center!), 1100 S Hayes Street, 11-3pm
See the the complete 2018 Arlington Art Truck Schedule.
2018 Activations
Arlington Abstracted by Marc Pekala
Eight typographically interesting signs from Arlington’s businesses of both past and present were chosen and simplified by artist Marc Pekala. Mounted onto small magnetic sheets and broken into multiple 2”x2” squares, the artist asks you to let loose, and rearrange them making them into new original colorful abstract artwork of your own! If you want to take it with you, take a photo. You will be surprised to know what cool signs flanked our streets, what happened and who was involved.
Share your stories about these places by hash tagging in social media. One of the designs will be selected to become the new ground mural in Spring 2019 in the Pop-Up park at 2100 Clarendon Blvd. #ArtTruckArlington #ArlingtonSigned
Community Partner: Inspection Services Division, Arlington County. Want to renovate your home or add on a deck? Talk to inspection services at these Arlington Art Truck activations!
More about the project
About Marc Pekala
You Are Magic by Alicia Eggert
You Are Magic is a large-scale, interactive inflatable sculpture designed to inspire wonder and evoke the power of collaboration. When two people hold hands with each person touching one of the handprints kiosks, the deflated sculpture comes to life expanding into the words, You Are Magic. The sculpture fills with air, growing larger and brighter the longer participants hold hands. But, as soon as they release their hands the circuit is broken, and the sculpture deflates into a crumpled piled of fabric on the ground.
Volunteer Arlington connects individuals, groups, nonprofits and businesses in an effort to promote volunteerism. It is the connection hub that links volunteers both as individuals and groups to organizations in need of support. Volunteer Arlington is one of the four main offerings of Leadership Center for Excellence, whose mission is to enlighten, inspire and connect leaders through community building and leadership development.
Color Your Future Garden by Marcella Kriebel
Marcella will provide five different black line illustrations that you can choose to watercolor in your own way: a seed planting chart with an illustration of vegetables in one of the four seasons, or a map of the Arlington Community Gardens.
Community Partners: Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC) with the Plot Against Hunger program. Before you leave the Art Truck, grab some seeds to “Grow a Row” for Arlington Food Assistance or grab a plant to learn to grow edibles indoors.
Going Native: Flora and Fauna of Arlington, Virginia by Kate Samworth
Going Native: Flora and Fauna of Arlington, Virginia created and illustrated by artist Kate Samworth, is a folding, pocket-sized manual of some of Arlington’s native plant, mammal, and insect species of Arlington. Using her artwork as a reference, enjoy a quick hands-on art project examining and recreating the shapes and patterns found on selected species of plants, insects, and butterflies by using collage, watercolor and drawing. By doing this project it will help participators to identify these species and the ecosystems they support in their own backyard.
Community partner: Plant NOVA Natives, is the joint marketing campaign of a grand coalition of non-profit, governmental, and private groups, all working to reverse the decline of native plants and wildlife in Northern Virginia. Our strategy is to encourage residents as well as public and commercial entities to install native plants as the first step toward creating wildlife habitat and functioning ecosystems on their own properties. All are welcome to participate in this collective action movement!
Bipedal Soundscapes by Alex Braden and Emily Francisco
Ride a stationary bicycle and activate a sound sculpture by DC area artists Emily Francisco and Alex Braden. The pedaling powers a five-tiered turntable housing vinyl records to create a unique audio experience. Visitors will control the speed of the turntables by operating — or riding — the bicycle, allowing riders to dictate the way the piece is experienced.
Community partners Phoenix Bikes and BikeArlington will be riding along with us. Phoenix Bikes’ nonprofit youth bike education program and their upcoming new space on Columbia Pike at the Arlington Mill Community Center. BikeArlington is Arlington County’s bike education and encouragement program. Their mission is to make it easy to get around Arlington by bike, so stop by and sign up for a class, social ride or pick up a new bike comfort map.
Behind The Art Truck Design
The Arlington Art Truck's exterior has colorful and witty illustrations hand painted by internationally renowned artist Stephen Powers. Stephen worked alongside Arlington Art Truck curator Cynthia Connolly to create a "parade of usual and unusual art supplies" including Cynthia's saddle shoes and Leica camera as a nod to their collaboration. Paying homage to his start as a graffiti artist and tagger, the blank side of the Truck outlined in dotted lines will feature magnetic interchangeable letters in his signature style. About the Artist
This project is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts. To learn more about how National Endowment for the Arts grants impact individuals and communities, visit www.arts.gov.
