Why just stick with art cars when you can go bigger?

That's what the folks behind the Orange Show Center for Visionary Arts thought. And with the snap of a finger and underwriting by IKEA, the Orange Show Art Bus made its debut on Saturday. The retailer donated art supplies, furniture, home furnishings, fabrics and tools to transform the motor coach into a versatile art classroom suitable for elementary school children.

The bus — a converted 1964, 40-foot mobile X-ray unit — will rove from school to school offering activities for institutions with little or no funding for the arts. Talk about a new purpose to an obsolete bunch of metal.

Who can resist the vehicle's colorful exterior design by Brian Zeivert?

At the debut event, more than 200 children and families were drawn by the friendly, quirky scene and engaged in arts and crafts projects, which included making miniature art cars, jewelry, drawing and participating in workshops.

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