NYC’s Materials For The Arts Fully Electric Truck, Van New Names Chosen By Third Graders Unveiled

Queens, NY – Materials for the Arts (MFTA), a program of the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, has officially announced the new names of the program’s fully electric truck and van: “Reusey Lucy” and “Buttercup.”

The new names for the vehicles were submitted by third-grade students from P.S. 17 in Queens during their field trip to MFTA earlier this year, where students learned about sustainability, upcycling, and creative reuse artmaking. Acquired in partnership with the Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS), the electric truck and van are essential to MFTA’s operations, collecting donated materials from across the city and making them available free of charge to arts nonprofits, public schools, and city agencies throughout the five boroughs. Emblazoned with MFTA’s logo, the bright yellow and white vehicles can be spotted making stops at donors and MFTA material recipients across the city – collecting and delivering items that fuel affordable, accessible arts programming in all five boroughs, while diverting material from the waste stream.

Earlier this year, a third-grade class from P.S. 17Q visited MFTA for a field trip, where students learned about MFTA’s electric truck and van and were invited to help name the vehicles. During the visit, students also learned about MFTA’s mission of giving discarded materials a second life and redistributing them to support New York City’s arts and education communities. To participate in the naming activity, students created their very own van and truck collage art and placed their name suggestions into a miniature papier-mâché MFTA truck. MFTA staff then reviewed the submissions and selected the winning names for the electric vehicles.

Acquired through DCAS, MFTA’s electric vehicles underscore its mission and the city’s commitment to reducing New York’s greenhouse gas output. As part of efforts to transition the city’s fleet to cleaner technologies, DCAS is continuing to lead in fleet electrification and greener operations. This year, DCAS announced its latest Clean Fleet Transition Plan report, outlining continued progress toward electrifying the city’s municipal fleet and expanding the use of zero-emission vehicles.

Operating from a 35,000-square-foot warehouse in Long Island City, Queens, MFTA collects millions of pounds of donated supplies each year from businesses and individuals across New York City and redistributes them free of charge to thousands of member organizations. MFTA receives and distributes donations collected by its truck and van fleet and makes them available for member organizations to ‘shop’ in the MFTA warehouse for a range of supplies, including furniture, fabric, paper, mannequins, electronics, theater equipment, paint, buttons, and beads, to support arts, education, and community programming.

Last year alone, MFTA collected more than 4.1 million pounds of materials, valued at nearly $17 million, and distributed them to 2,500 member organizations, schools, and public agencies citywide. On average, each member received roughly $6,800 worth of supplies at no cost, helping stretch budgets while keeping valuable materials out of landfills.

During the end of the school year, MFTA encourages schools with leftover supplies to donate to MFTA. Teachers can also participate in MFTA’s summer professional development courses to earn P-Credits and learn how to infuse art and creative projects across subject areas.

MFTA shopping is by appointment only. Organizations interested in receiving supplies from MFTA can visit MFTA’s website to submit a membership application. NYC public school teachers can contact their principal to ensure their school’s MFTA account is up-to-date and to be added to their school’s account. Visit www.nyc.gov/mfta to learn more.