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# A Marriage of Food Truck Culture and a Gallery on Wheels
- URL: https://hyperallergic.com/show-and-tell-food-truck/
- Published: 2011-09-08T17:00:23.000Z
- Updated: 2025-11-24T15:37:30.000Z
- Description: In the era of food trucks, pop-up shops and temporary restaurants, when even underground dance parties are thrown in the bays of parked U-Haul trucks, it's surprising that more of the art world isn't getting on board with this wonderfully lo-fi business model that optimizes exposure through social m
- Author: Erin Lindholm
- Tags: Art, #image-position-hidden, Brooklyn, DIY, Manhattan, Review, Social Media, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2025-11-17 09:23 (2009-2011)

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2011/09/foodtruck-top.jpg)

A view of the Show and Tell food truck via Victoria Howe's Facebook profile page (via facebook.com/victoria.yee.howe\_)

In the era of food trucks, pop-up shops and temporary restaurants, when even underground dance parties are thrown in the bays of parked U-Haul trucks, it’s surprising that more of the art world isn’t getting on board with this wonderfully lo-fi business model that optimizes exposure through social media and the internet and requires minimal entry costs. (The going daily rate for a U-Haul box truck is still $19.99, with nominal fees for mileage).

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2011/08/photo16-ps.jpg)

Zines featured in Show and Tell, a DIY mobile gallery and food truck (photo by the author) (click to enlarge)

Enter [*Show and Tell*](http://www.show-and-tell.net/?ref=hyperallergic.com), an ambitious foray into the world of the DIY mobile gallery organized by Sierra Stinson, a Seattle-based artist and [part-time gallerist](http://vignettes.us/?ref=hyperallergic.com), and Victoria Yee Howe, a New York-based conceptual artist and former pastry chef. The eclectic, thoughtfully curated show reflected the vested interests of its co-creators: The printed works, organized by Yee Howe, was heavy on food ‘zines (to my delight); the remainder of the art, organized by Stinson, was a conscious 50/50 split representing artists from Seattle and New York.

The truck roamed the streets of lower Manhattan and Brooklyn for two days in mid-August, luring visitors and curiosity-seekers with TwitPics and the promise of cake (more on that in a moment). Being something of an aficionado of pop-up and mobile enterprises, food projects in particular, I was curious as to how these art-preneurs adapted the pop-up model to create a successful art project on wheels. Here’s how the creators of *Show and Tell* worked it:

![](http://c2771442.cdn.cloudfiles.rackspacecloud.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/H-12.png)

 **Establish a web site and social media channels.** Even the most DIY project benefits from a legitimate online presence. Plenty of blogging platforms, the easiest being Tumblr, will “host” your domain name, meaning you can run your site for free using a Tumblr layout and the Tumblr platform but using an official URL. It should go without saying that social media — [Twitter](http://twitter.com/?ref=hyperallergic.com#!/showandtell%5Fnyc), in particular — is an essential communication tool for a pop-up or mobile project.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2011/08/snipoftwitterfeed-ps.jpg)

A snippet of Show and Tell's very active Twitterfeed

![](http://c2771442.cdn.cloudfiles.rackspacecloud.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/H-12.png)

 **Generate advance buzz.** *Show and Tell*‘s weekend project snagged a mention in a story in New York magazine last month, “[Analog Renaissance](http://nymag.com/shopping/features/analog-renaissance-2011-7/index1.html?ref=hyperallergic.com),” as well as several small mentions in local press. The creators then tweeted and otherwise shared the good news, including a simple press release, and were Google-searchable thanks to their established Internet presence.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2011/09/small-cake-psphoto18.jpg)

Artful treats like Yee Howe's cake entice visitors to check out "Show and Tell" (photo by the author) (click to enlarge)

![](http://c2771442.cdn.cloudfiles.rackspacecloud.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/H-12.png)

 **Tease the goods.** On a very basic level, *Show and Tell* is another variation of the product-consumer relationship: It is a gallery and a shop and we are consumers of art. Therefore, appeal to our senses; cultivate our interest. Since late July, *Show and Tell*‘s [Twitter feed](https://twitter.com/?ref=hyperallergic.com#!/showandtell%5Fnyc) has been peppered with Twit Pics of art works and ‘zines that later turned up in the truck.

![](http://c2771442.cdn.cloudfiles.rackspacecloud.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/H-12.png)

 **Have a promotion.** The inclusion of Yee Howe’s [Chinatown Cake Club](http://www.chinatowncakeclub.com/index.html?ref=hyperallergic.com), a incognito dessert club she hosted monthly during 2010, was an ingenious move on the creators’ part. Tweets like these will motivate certain food-minded creative types to make a visit. Additionally, gallery openings and food have a long, symbiotic relationship: Visitors generally linger longer if there’s something to snack on and will leave with a greater sense of satisfaction, albeit one of the stomach.  
  
![](http://c2771442.cdn.cloudfiles.rackspacecloud.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/H-12.png)

 **Day of, be on top of your updates.** The *Show and Tell* curators were precise and timely about posting updates to the Twitter feed as to their latest location and plans to be on the move. Additionally, you could text a phone number and receive a personal SMS response. These channels help ground an abstract, on-the-move project with the real world, in real time.

Inclement weather aside, *Show and Tell* ran with relative ease — which bodes well for future food-truck/mobile gallery mash-ups. The big-picture goal would be to take the show to other cities in the US, Stinson mentioned. I say, let there be cake.

*The* Show and Tell *mobile gallery ran in several locations across Manhattan and Brooklyn from August 13 – 14, 2011.*