Seattle Times: Kinetic sculptures: the art of people power

By Kathryn True
Special to The Seattle Times


2006 Parade. Banner introduces the esteem Judges.

PORT TOWNSEND — Think Mardi Gras on wheels. Toss in a little Boeing ingenuity, mix well with modern sculpture and sprinkle liberally with Shakespearean wit, and you've got yourself a kinetic-sculpture race.

Early each October — this year's race is Sunday — the salty streets of this bayside town erupt in displays of creative madness: a colorful combination of art, engineering and theater with an edge of friendly competition. After constructing human-powered road-, sand-, mud- and sea-worthy sculptures, the self-proclaimed "kineticnauts" test their contraptions' mettle on an eight-mile obstacle course. Everything they need for the race (from pontoons to repair kits to Power Bars) must be contained within the sculpture.


2006 Parade. Three understudies looking marvelous seeking a bit part in a big production.

"The unique thing about this race is that it's a blending of engineering and art," said race archivist Louis Hightower. "These are frustrated engineers who want to be artists, or artists who feel like they need to expand their engineering prowess — it's a right brain/left brain thing, and teams usually consist of both." (Read More)


2006 Parade. Kinetic skulpture makes its way down the Victorian seaport strip. All Photos were taken by Lena Sharpe