Origin of Arty Van Gogh

Artist and art teacher Libby Hodges had a vision for making art activities and visual arts education accessible to more people, especially children. From that desire came the idea for creating a mobile studio. After some research and a bit of scouting the Internet, Libby found an International Navistar bus that had been retired from active school service, but still had many miles left to go. A team of dedicated, tireless volunteers under Libby's direction transformed the bus into Arty Van Gogh, complete with new flooring, work tables, seating, and a paint job that turns heads wherever Arty goes.

The transformation

The plan for creating a mobile art studio started with making sure the space would be comfortable for students and functional, considering all the various activities and styles of art that students get to work on.

When Arty's transformation was complete, it was a fully furnished mobile studio outfitted with work space, art supplies, and all the materials necessary for each session. Presenters who work with Art Reaching Today's Youth, Inc. are veteran teaching artists who have classroom experience and strive to make each session aboard Arty Van Gogh challenging and fun.

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