Kinetic Sculpture Race
Saturday, May 6
@ The American Visionary Art Museum
On Saturday, May 6, 2023, the American Visionary Art Museum’s fun and frenzied Kinetic Sculpture Race returns for its 23rd year. The festivities will commence, rain or shine!
AVAM Executive Director Jenenne Whitfield says, “Our annual Kinetic Sculpture Race demonstrates the museum’s ongoing mission to support and promote intuitive, self-taught artists and visionaries of all sorts! I stand in awe of the ingenuity that goes into designing and constructing these original human-powered machines. I challenge Baltimoreans and visitors alike to take a break from the daily grind and join us as we witness the creative spirit on full display in these unique mobile sculptures traversing the streets of Baltimore. A sight to behold, indeed!”
As of this date, there are 23 registered teams, with participants ranging from teenagers to septuagenarians, echoing the race theme of “Everyday People” in their design and theme songs as they prepare to travel through 15 miles of downtown Baltimore streets, mud and sand pits at Patterson Park, and the Inner Harbor, vying for honors such as ACE, Best Pit Crew, People’s Choice, Worst Honorable Mention, and Spirit of the Glorious Founder. The highest honor in the Kinetic Sculpture Race is the Grand Mediocre Champion, awarded to the team that finishes exactly in the middle of the pack.
Among the six Baltimore-area school teams confirmed for this year’s race is Jemicy School. Several years ago, the Kinetic Sculpture Race became the basis for an original program for students at Jemicy, called Kinetic Sculpture Race Industrial Design. Course instructor August DiMucci reflects: “Our students are intuitive, mechanically inclined, visual-spatial thinkers who problem-solve and collaborate to design, build, and race vehicles that meet the challenges of the race. In the class, they learn project planning, design, fabrication, material science, physics, welding, bike maintenance, communication, teamwork, and many other real-world skills. My favorite part of this class is to see the students’ joyful expressions on race day!”
Additional participating schools include: Howard County Public School System Applications & Research Lab, Park School, St. Paul’s School for Girls, St. Paul’s School for Boys, and University of Maryland Baltimore County.
Press passes are required and will be distributed on site at AVAM at the registration table, the day of the race. Please contact Frankie Marsh, [email protected], to register for press credentials.
Kinetic Sculpture Race Approximate Schedule:
8:00 AM – Safety Check & Brake Test at AVAM, 800 Key Highway
9:30 AM – Opening Ceremonies at AVAM
10:00 AM – LeMans Start of Race on Key Highway, up Battery Avenue to Federal Hill Park
11:15 AM – 1:00 PM – Water Entry at Canton Waterfront
1:15 – 3:30 PM – Sand & Mud Obstacles in Patterson Park
3:30 – 6:00 PM – Finish Line/Post Race Recovery at AVAM
6:00 – 7:00 PM – Awards Ceremony at AVAM