NEW YORK, NY.- Mister ArtSee, the pioneering mobile arts education initiative and non-profit founded by artist Elliott Arkin, announced today that its iconic Mister ArtSee vehicle — together with the complete collection of original vehicle designs and conceptual development materials created in collaboration with the late artist and architect Vito Acconci and Acconci Studio — has been acquired by CART Department, the contemporary art and automobile initiative founded by collector and cultural entrepreneur Larry Warsh.
Founded in 2008, Mister ArtSee transformed a vintage Mister Softee ice cream truck into a phantasmagorical, multi-functional arts platform designed to bring creativity, art experiences, and educational programming directly into underserved communities. Conceived as both a practical initiative and a broader artistic statement, the project reimagined the familiar neighborhood ice cream truck as a mobile advocate for arts education, public imagination, and cultural accessibility — a kind of contemporary arts ambassador analogous to Smokey Bear.
Originally developed in collaboration with Vito Acconci and Acconci Studios, the vehicle was envisioned not simply as a gallery on wheels, but as a flexible and evolving platform capable of supporting visual art, performance, sound, video, lectures, workshops, and public engagement in neighborhoods throughout New York City and beyond. For Acconci, whose work consistently challenged the boundaries between architecture, public space, and human interaction, the concept of a mobile arts laboratory represented a natural extension of his larger artistic vision.
Over its seventeen-year history, Mister ArtSee reached tens of thousands of youths and adults and distributed more than $2.5 million worth of art kits to underserved schools in New York City and Chicago — an initiative believed to be among the largest private donations of art educational materials in the history of New York City public education.
Founded by Larry Warsh, CART Department explores the intersection of automobiles, contemporary art, music, and cultural history through artist-commissioned vehicles and large-scale collaborations. Warsh’s collection — featuring more than sixty vehicles transformed by artists and musicians including Jenny Holzer, Barbara Kruger, Rashid Johnson, Olafur Eliasson, Pharrell Williams, and Quavo — has helped redefine the automobile as a serious and dynamic medium for contemporary artistic expression.
While many works within the CART Department collection reinterpret existing vehicles as artistic canvases, Mister ArtSee occupies a distinct place within that dialogue: a vehicle conceived from its earliest sketches not merely as transportation or exhibition space, but as both a functional arts education platform and a work of public art whose true medium was community engagement itself.
“This acquisition feels incredibly meaningful to me because CART Department understands that vehicles can become much more than transportation — they can become vessels for ideas, creativity, and cultural engagement,” said Elliott Arkin, founder of Mister ArtSee. “From the beginning, Mister ArtSee was conceived not simply as an art truck, but as a symbol and platform for arts advocacy and public imagination. The design concepts that Vito Acconci brought to the project were extraordinary — they were never simply blueprints, but an artist’s vision of what a mobile arts experience could become. I’m especially excited that those original materials and concepts will remain preserved alongside the vehicle itself while opening the door to future collaborations and new educational initiatives together with Larry Warsh and CART Department.”
Warsh has described CART Department as an evolving cultural destination dedicated to preserving and expanding the role of the automobile within contemporary art and creative culture. The acquisition of Mister ArtSee reflects a shared belief between the two organizations that art belongs not only inside institutions, but within everyday public life and the communities it serves.
The organizations are currently exploring future partnerships and public programming opportunities that build upon Mister ArtSee’s original educational mission while expanding its visibility within broader conversations surrounding contemporary art, design, mobility, and public engagement.
Additional information about Mister ArtSee and CART Department can be found at:
http:www.cartdept.com
http://www.instagram.com/cartdept
www.MisterArtSee.org
http://www.facebook.com/misterartsee
Mister ArtSee
Founded in 2008, Mister ArtSee is a pioneering national arts education initiative created to expand access to the arts through a unique mobile platform originally developed in collaboration with Vito Acconci Studios. Based in New York City, the organization brought art materials, programming, and creative engagement directly into underserved communities while serving as a visible advocate for arts education and cultural accessibility.
CART Department
CART Department is an interdisciplinary initiative founded by Larry Warsh exploring the relationship between automobiles, contemporary art, music, and creative culture through artist collaborations, exhibitions, and commissioned art vehicles.
