Baltimore Kinetic Sculpture Race

I Dream of Fifi in the 2019 race conjured the classic 1960s TV I Dream of Jeannie as a 15-foot tall amphibious human-powered poodle. Want to see more photos?

Race Day: Saturday, May 1 May 7, 2022

Due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, the Baltimore Kinetic Sculpture Race is rescheduled for Saturday, May 7, 2022.

2019 Race Photos & Results

See our Complete coverage of the 2019 Baltimore Kinetic Sculpture Race!

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What’s a Kinetic Sculpture Race?

Kinetic Sculptures are amphibious, human powered works of art custom built for the race. Each May, the American Visionary Art Museum (AVAM) produces and hosts the East Coast Kinetic Sculpture Race Championship on the shore of Baltimore’s Harbor in central Maryland.  The eight-hour race covers 15 miles—mostly on pavement, but also including a trip into the Chesapeake Bay and through mud and sand.

Kinetic Sculpture Racing began in 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 including a list of other races nationwide.

For more about the Baltimore race, browse the race photo results in the left menu.

Where can I see Kinetic Sculptures?

You can go to a Kinetic Sculpture Race on race days, or the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore, Maryland. AVAM displays Fifi and their other sculptures year round in the dedicated Sculpture Barn.

How to Build a Kinetic Sculpture

Learn from Elliot’s How To Build a Kinetic Sculpture reference guide.