Kentucky Car Art Weekend

A friend of mine Greg Phelps, whose art car “That Car” has made it in previous years to Baltimore for the Annual Car Art Show, told me about the Kentucky Car Art Weekend, August 3-4. Held at various venues in Louisville, this is a Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft sponsored event that is considered, according to Greg, the Midwest’s most fabulous of art car shows. From the looks of the various happenings about town, he knows what he’s talking about.

There’s a Drive-in movie complete with concession stand, a parade, a gallery hop, an art car lecture, and the KY Art Car Hoedown for starters. If you want to create an art car yourself, there’s a miniature car art workshop. [See event schedule.]

If you go, look for Greg. He loves Louisville and can clue you into the hotspots. Also look for my Greg Phelps’s Louisville recommendations in the future. He sent me some great info.

Art Car Show: From the Funky to the Fabulous

Willy wrote a post about a art car parade in California this past April. I mentioned art cars in my ComFest post in June. Here’s another art car opportunity. Marilyn Terrell, a faithful Gadling reader and a person who knows quality events when she sees them, sent this our way. The 14th Annual Car Art Show and Other Wheeled is happening in Baltimore, Maryland this weekend, July 20- 22. It’s part of Artscape, the very mega and very free public arts festival held here each year.

If you’ve ever looked at dings in your car and thought, “Gee, I wish this looked better,” go to the Car Art Show for some ideas. Being an artist helps, but having the right kind of glue may be enough. An artist friend of mine acquires cars for art festivals so that attendees can turn them into mobile art pieces by a festival’s end. When my son was three I helped him glue action figures onto the hood of one of these cars. The result was kind of similar, but not exactly to what is shown in this photo posted by Ben Kallman on Flickr.

Art cars can be more complicated than that. Ben Kallman’s photo might be a closeup of the first car. There are other artists who use paint to create their masterpieces. Others weld on additions. Who says a car has to stay a car shape? The insides like this one posted by praxis88, are included in the creations. Some cars make you wonder how anyone manages to drive them. A friend of mine once had dinosaurs glued in a neat fashion to his dashboard. The first car I bought had some sort of purple fur, but I don’t think this qualifies as art. It was just weird.

The art car show’s highlight is the car caravan on Saturday at 1 pm. Cars start off at the American Visionary Museum and make their way through the festival route. Although most cars come from Maryland and Virginia, I noticed two on the list are from Florida. I wonder if the owners drive them up. That’d be a sight to see on a highway.

Here are some others from the Flickr pages that caught my eye. All, are from previous Art Car Shows at Artscape. You may see some at this weekend’s event since I think they get shown off each year.

This one, reminiscent of a Klimt painting, was also posted by praxis88. We recently sold a red Toyota Corolla with 200,000 miles on it that I had the urge to turn into an art car but was concerned we’d do all the work and it wouldn’t drive much longer.

If I had turned it into car art, I’d have liked to have done something like this one posted by praxis88 that combines paint, jewels and mirrors.

This car posted by Celeste Dawn makes me think there is no reason to ever donate to Goodwill again–or throw out anything. I recently pitched one of those kid’s tops with a handle that you pump and think perhaps I should have kept it. My car art friend could have probably used it.

Others, like this one posted by James in balto , have messages. Sort of a political speech on wheels or something. It’d be kind of neat to get a whole bunch of poetry magnets to see what people might write on a car. It could be an interactive piece that would change at each parking lot. Of course, the magnets might get stollen. That would be a bummer.

Wouldn’t it be neat to do a car that has objects from various places you’ve visited? Or do something like the creators of this one posted by Markwithnohair. Pick the place you liked the best and then pay it tribute. I’d have a hard time choosing. In case you’re inspired to do something with your no longer a beauty, here’s a link Marilyn also sent along that takes you through the steps of making an art car of your own.

Junteenth Around the World

Back in 1865 in Galveston, Texas when African Americans who lived there first heard they were free, they started a holiday. Back then, June 19th was called African Emancipation Day, but as celebrations go sometimes, the name shifted and so did the dates. These days, Junteenth events are held throughout this month and not just in the United States either. From Japan to Ghana to Honduras there’s some Juneteenth thing to do. The Juneteenth Web site is lists several. Many seem to be events connected to military bases, but they also seem to be open to the public.

If you want to see a fun TV ad for Juneteenth, check out the other post , Junteenth, A Happening Worth Celebrating. I’ve always been intrigued by this holiday and think it ought to get more press, so here’s my small addition.