Retired school bus to serve as mobile art center

SOMERVILLE, Mass. — The Somerville Arts Council is calling on local artists to design the exterior of an old school bus that was purchased by the city to be used for mobile art classes, dance performances and other creative ventures.

The Somerville Arts Council is calling the bus Multi Use Somerville Community Roving Transport (M.U.S.C.R.A.T.). Beyond murals, the organization is open to sculptural elements that might be welded onto the bus, and it is particularly interested in designs that involve the public or a youth program in some way.

According to an article by Boston Magazine, the M.U.S.C.R.A.T. will make stops at community events and serve as the centerpiece for outdoor concerts and festivals. Rachel Strutt, program manager at the Somerville Arts Council, told the magazine that the organization is hoping to have a carpenter work on the inside of the bus.

For more information and guidelines on how to apply to decorate the exterior of the bus, visit the Somerville Arts Council’s website here.

More on repurposed school buses:

• Photos: School buses after shuttling students

• Art teacher turns school bus into mobile classroom

• Blog post: School buses on screen and after retirement