Speed Sculpture

Forget sculpture that moves – here’s sculpture that races. Back from a dark, sad two-year period when it lost its sponsorship and, consequently, its longtime home at the Boulder Reservoir, the Kinetic Sculpture Race returns to form today in its new home, at Union Reservoir in Longmont. “There was an...

By Jef Otte

August 26, 2010

Audio By Carbonatix

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Forget sculpture that moves – here’s sculpture that races. Back from a dark, sad two-year period when it lost its sponsorship and, consequently, its longtime home at the Boulder Reservoir, the Kinetic Sculpture Race returns to form today in its new home, at Union Reservoir in Longmont.

“There was an underground group of about six kineticists who really wanted to keep it alive,” says Sandy Sherman, also known as “LiLy Lenscap,” the official Kinetics photographer – and it’s a good thing they did, because it would’ve been a real shame to lose one of Colorado’s most gloriously weird traditions. Equipped with self-produced, amphibious vehicles made of bike parts, foam, cloth and whatever else, Kineticist teams compete not only for speed, but are also judged on design, costumes and what Sherman calls “pageantry” – the performance of it all.

“The spirit of kinetics is all about the sculptures,” she explains. “You really need artists, engineers, even seamstresses for the costumes; it’s really something that brings people together.” Come together with it at Union Reservoir, 461 Weld County Road 26, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. It’ll cost you $8, or $20 per vehicle. For more info, go to www.kineticists.org or call 720-837-1577.
Sat., Aug. 28, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., 2010

Jef Otte

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