Confessions of an Art Car Owner: Highlights of the 2021 Houston Art Car Experience

Confessions of an Art Car Owner: Highlights of the 2021 Houston Art Car Experience

The Kelley Blue Book blog offers a lot of information about cars. These blogs offer insight on subjects like buying automobiles in 10 steps and how to buy a motorcar online, but the one we are interested in talks about the best colors for cars. Even though a 2021 list hasn’t been released yet, we can review the 2020 list, which will suffice.

These are the colors that KBB lists as top colors for 2020:

1. White (26%)
2. Black and Gray (tied at 19%)
3. Silver (12%)
4. Blue (10%)
5. Red (9%)
6. Natural (2.5%)
7. Green (2%)
8. Other (.5%)

Here is a pictorial representation:

Take a look outside at your car. Does it fit into one of these color categories? Chances are fairly high that it does. However, we are more interested in what would be considered “other” in this representation.

What do you think “other” might mean in this scenario? You could certainly fit orange in this category, but how about the art automobile?

What is an Art Car?

We figured you might ask this question, so let’s eliminate any confusion and discuss what these cars are. If modified for personal artistic expression, a motorcar can fit into the “art car” category. The art automobile revolution dates back to the 1960s and the summers of peace and love. Hippie-themed VWs were very common, but one of the first recorded skill motorcars is a bus – a 1939 International Harvester school bus named Furthur. Ken Kesey bought and decorated the bus in 1964 to carry his band of pranksters cross-country.

During that time, additional motorcars that made a real impact were Janis Joplin’s psychedelically painted Porsche 356 and a Paisley-painted Rolls Royce driven by John Lennon. By the 1990s, the skill car displays had become vital parts of venues like Burning Man. One of the more notorious art cars was used in advertising – ever heard of the Oscar Meyer Wienie Wagon? This vehicle was the predecessor to the later-designed Weinermobiles.

Houston Art Car Experience

In past years, the Houston Art Car Experience has been the destination for over 200 skill automobiles. Still, due to the current COVID-19 restrictions, the number of entries was reduced, with only 80 cars allowed to enter. The 2021 experience took place May 14-16 at the Orange Show Center for Visionary Art. The overall experience is not something taken lightly by art motorcar enthusiasts. The Nighttime Experience sold out well before the weekend, with reserved VIP tables of four selling for $1,034.25 apiece. Individual tickets sold cost $43.25, which is a huge difference compared to the general daytime admission for an adult of $12.

List of Featured Cars in the 2021 Houston Art Car Experience

1. Trump Lies by Frank Abbott
2. Saint Arnold Caddy by Robynn Sanders
3. Frankenkitty by Kimmi Bainter
4. Pride & Joy by Heights High School
5. Hen-a-Tron by Drew Bettge
6. Women Rock Art Car by Bonnie Blue
7. Char Car by Mark Bradford
8. Eele by Mark Bradford
9. Robot Chariot by Mark Bradford
10. The Rochester by Kenny Browning and Noah Edmondson
11. Kallisti’s Zombie Hunter by Mitchell Clemons
12. Splinter by Isaac Cohen
13. We’ll Get This by Darcy & David Creswell
14. Red Hot Stuff by Charles de la Rosa
15. Mane-Ly Musical Lion by Parker Elementary School
16. The GLAM-Balance by St. Francis Episcopal School
17. Ghost Slipper by Ty Eckley
18. Psycho-Delic Road Toad by Deb & Bill Elliott
19. CVHS Houston Proud by Carnegie Vanguard HS
20. Brunehilde by Meghan Freemantle
21. I’m Just Another Dot in the World by MaryAnne & Charles Fried
22. Alotta Dotta by Tricia Gernand
23. Pop Art Cart by Harry “Bruiser” Goldberg
24. The Gunslinger by Mark Green
25. Phool Patti by Joe Haden
26. Wakanda Forever by Kashmere Gardens Elementary
27. Lady Dragon Wagon by Jessica Hanohano
28. Cigs Kill by Alex Harrah
29. The Fruitmobile by Jackie Harris
30. Heroicar by Andy Hazell
31. Captain America by Eliseo Hilario
32. Rhinestone Catboy by Ken Hoge
33. Terra Firma by HCC Art Car Cooperative
34. Buttercup by Amelia Horner
35. Greengo by Victor Jiminez
36. Vincent’s Dream by Sam & Nancy Jones
37. Bouma the Driving Owl by Arabic Immersion Magnet School
38. BuddhaFly by Keith Kendall
39. Shep the Rescued German Shepherd by Tom Kennedy and Beverly Hayes
40. The PICK-up truck by Cliff Lee
41. Save the Animals & the Planet by Jaki Lee
42. Map of Space and Time by Rebecca Lowe
43. Zebra Krew by Amy Lynch-Kolflat
44. Opti-Car Lusion by Becky Morris
45. Sunny with a Chance of Sprinkles by Spring Forest Middle School
46. Flamingo Car by Becky & Georgia Mustachio
47. MetaCarSkull by Texas Wheelbarrow Association
48. HERMESillac by Rickey Polidore, Jr.
49. Carlagio by Chris Reinsvold
50. Hope the Hippo by Sue Shefman & Rickey Polidor, Jr.
51. Peace Expedition by Kim and John Ritter
52. Carnew Convertible by George Sacaris & Family
53. Pop Art Car by Cherie Smith & Sharon Neyland
54. Corky by Kristin Smalley
55. Green Man Van by Shelley Bushur
56. Santa Car MK IV by Bryan Taylor
57. Spanish Gold by Jose Valles
58. Phoenix by Jay Weiss
59. Deuce of Death by Jeremy Witt
60. Auto Disco Leap Bot by Chriss Wollard
61. Spooter: A Spider Scooter by William Workman
62. Iron Maiden Truck by Vincent Ybarra
63. Sunflower Car by Tim Young
64. Rat Wink by Bob Wink
65. Hippysaurus & Hippytortoise by The WatersFamily
66. Force-mobile by Stephen Stelmak
67. A Fish Called Juanita by Larry White
68. Joy’s B’Alam by Joy Mullett
69. Dumpster Fire by John Gregory
70. Can’t Get Off the Loop by Brian Zeivert

Our Top Five Picks For Best Art Car at Houston Art Car Experience 2021

While we may not get to be official judges or spend a lot of time in art museums, we know cars. Since we know cars, we will share our top five favorite creative automobiles present at the Houston Art Car Experience this year.

5. Ghost Slipper by Ty Eckley

Ty Eckley created the Ghost Slipper in 2013 from a 2009 Ez-Go Green. The automobile is listed in the contraption category, and for the last five years, Eckley has entered the Houston Art Car Parade with it. He created the motorcar because he needed something to support talent Installations at Burning Man. He says the slipper of a giant Genie seemed appropriate.

4. Map of Space and Time by Rebecca Lowe

Rebecca Lowe created her art car in 2009, naming it Map of Space and Time, and it was the first year she entered the parade. The automobile is a painted 2009 Honda Fit and was recently updated with FinSails for extra power and maneuverability. She uses this car as her daily driver, too. She says that owning a skilled motorcar brings a force of good and beauty, weirdness, and outside-the-box thinking to the world, filling it with fun and joy.

3. Pop Art Vehicle by Bruiser Goldberg

Bruiser Goldberg’s “contraption” Pop creativity Car is made from a 1980s Craftsman Lawn Mower, which he created in 2011. He has participated in the Houston parade for the last ten years, offering up his unique take on the popcorn cart. His best experience was when a police officer tried to cite him for not having a food vendor permit before realizing that it was just a lawnmower in the parade.

2. The Splooter: A Spider Scooter by William Workman

It is not exactly a car, but it is listed as a gimmick for the parade. The Splooter is made using a 2013 Yamaha Zuma and has been adapted to look like a spider. The Splooter’s first appearance was made in 2015 and was also featured in the parade in 2017, 2018, and 2019. Workman enjoys being a part of the skilled automobile community with The Splooter because of the creative atmosphere and overall appreciation and acceptance by the entire community for the art.

1. Opti-Car Lusion by Becky Morris

While other motorcars are undoubtedly worthy of an honorable mention, the Opti-Car Lusion is the definition of an art motorcar, distinctly reminiscent of the automobiles driven by Joplin and Lennon in the 1960s. Becky Morris has been creating art cars since 1998, with the Opti-Car Lusion created in 2009. The 1996 Mazda Miata is painted with optical illusions and offers a feel that is best described as “groovy.”

Get Ready For Art Vehicle Experience 2022

All funds from the ticket sales from the Houston Talent Experience 2021 directly benefit the Orange Show Center for Visionary Art. The Center also uses some of the proceeds to begin funding next year’s creative car experience. Although the next Houston Art Car Experience has not been scheduled yet, dates have already been tentatively set for the next Houston Creativity Car Parade Weekend, slated for April 7 to April 10, 2022. If you are in the Houston area, you might be looking into the skilled automobile shows and parades available throughout the year!