Completed: 11. Go to Baltimore Kinetic Sculpture Race
What in the hell is this and why are you dressed like a dinosaur going to an afternoon wedding in spring (you should be asking yourself)?
According to the site:
Kinetic Sculptures are amphibious, human powered works of art custom built for the race. Each May, the American Visionary Art Museum (AVAM) hosts the East Coast Kinetic Sculpture Race Championship on the shore of Baltimore’s Harbor in central Maryland. The eight-hour race covers 14 miles—mostly on pavement, but also including a trip into the Chesapeake Bay and through mud and sand.
Kinetic Sculpture Racing traces its roots to Ferndale, California in 1969 when artist Hobart Brown upgraded his son’s tricycle into a 5-wheeled pentacycle and was challenged to a race down Main Street. (Hobart did not win.) Over the decades since, the California race evolved into a 3-day all-terrain Kinetic Grand Championship including treacherous sand dunes, water crossings, and elaborate sculptures and costumes. You can learn more on Wikipedia.
It’s a weird, Baltimore tradition where people build art that can traverse both land and water. They race their “floats” around a dock. Win silly awards. Spectators are encouraged to dress up.
This year’s theme was Myths and Monsters, so I decided to channel a lady T-Rex or a She-Rex, if you will.
It was so great to see the passion these artists put into this race. Building things is not a strength of mine, so I was amazed.
I didn’t take many pictures of the floats because my fangs got in the way, but you can check them out here.
If you’re interested in seeing the art in person, the American Visionary Museum displays them throughout the year. This museum is a lot of fun, so I encourage you to check it out anyway.
Okay. Bye. Gotta drive home.
-Lyssa