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Art Car Fest is this weekend September 25-27th going on all over the SF bay area, and this video I shot from the inside of my mercedes pens art car during the last years event at the Berkeley Parade. I was a lot of fun as it is every year during this time and I believe this weekend will be a ton of fun as usual. Some of the cars in this video are: Glass Quilt, Golden Mean, Radio Flyer, The Lorax and the Mercedes Pens.If you can make it out to see us here is the schedule of events:

Friday, September 25
noon - 5pm Amoeba Music Caravan!
Keep your eyes open for our ArtCar caravan through San Francisco. We'll be touring such favorite sites as North Beach, Fisherman's Wharf, The Castro, The Embarcadero, Golden Gate Park, and Ocean Beach. You can catch up with us at 3:30PM at Sports Basement at Crissy Field (in the Presidio.)

Saturday, September 26
Noon - 8pm Salsa Festival!
ArtCar Fest will dip into the sauce as we exhibit at the Redwood City Salsa Festival! Three stages of live music, great food, lots of family-friendly activities, and now ArtCars!

Sunday, September 27
11am - 7pm Berkeley's LAST SUNDAYS FEST
We'll hang all day with our friends at Amoeba Music on Telegraph in Berkeley at the new Last Sundays Festival.

Photos by Bagel!

Nod D’Nal-Teews from Fort Worth, has been driving his "Caulk-It" van cross country for over 20 years now. His van is a 1979 Dodge Maxivan and matching trailer, dubbed the "Art Ark" with rooftop solar collectors that power appliances within the van, while a trailer serves as his studio. Most people use caulk to seal up cracks in their homes but he used about 300 tubes of the stuff to cover his art car spread with his fingers then painted over. He has also encompassed a variety of items in his design, from broom handles to rain gutters to pie tins. Nod will be at Art Car Fest weekend.

Art Car Fest 09 could be a dangerous event but this year the good Reverend Charles Linville in his Danger Car will be attending to make sure that nobody gets hurt. The purpose of Danger car is to serve as a warning to all of things that are potentially dangerous and worrisome;hence the outer coating of reflective stripes, twisted metal, broken mirrors, ripples, warning lights and police sirens. The interior is festooned with matchbook covers, warning tape and bullet casings. Cant wait to meet the Reverend, its should be a lot safer this year with the Danger Car up front.

photo by Bagel!

The AQUA MOBILE is the creation of Don Ehlen, a Seattle-based entomologist and educator. The car is a great example of a simple concept art car, basically just a great paint job, although 3-D features have begun to creep in: a fully inflated plastic blowfish atop the radio antenna, a crab creeping out over the rear license plate, and a red plastic lobster at the front. Also at this years Art Car Fest.via

via Burncast

The Photo Boof art car is a mobile photobooth built by Wrybread onto the back of an Cushman parking patrol auto rickshaw. The Photo Boof has been to all kinds of events and is even available to rent and it will be appearing at this years Art Car Fest so come by and get your photo taken with your BFF. In the video Justin Credible is the spokesperson for Photo Boof giving us the story behind this really cool art. I got about nine days until Art Car Fest 09 starts and I need to get my Mercedes Pens art car ready and feature as many attending art cars on ACC as possible.

Battle Wagon Art Car

Haz-Mat Hatch Art Car

Battle Wagon and Haz-Mat Hatch is another couple of those futuristic apocalypse mad-max art cars created by Todd up in there in Washington State. They might look ugly but they got it were it counts, two high-octane hi-carb Subaru wagons that hall out in a hurry when the mutants come chasing the day after. Todd said "this is the extent of my mid life crises" and "everyday is a parade in this car". Nice work Todd.

via Never Forget 9/11

Ever use a car to create a font using fancy schmancy software like a bunch of dudes that are totally into fonts? These dudes did it and you need to watch this video if you are a font nerd like myself.

Photo by Emily
This ginormous antique Cork Truck photo was taken by Emily during her Barcelona visit last October where she attended Felipe and Silva's Wedding. Probably too much information but I do wish the young couple my best. Anyways Emilys trip was well worth it here at ACC because she brought back with her a little bit of art car history. Thanks Emily.

via
And just for fun, for the those of you who just got back from burning man this year, I bring you Gonzo the Mutant Vehicle. And for those of you who have not gone to Burning Man and never will because everyone and their mother has gone to Burning Man, I suggest you check out a nice alternative event at the same location called Burning Toast Man.

Photo via

This three wheeled pedal powered camper RV was designed by Boston-based artist Kevin Cyr, that is both a fully functioning RV and the subject of a number of Cyr’s amazing paintings.
The pedal powered camper was constructed in April 2008 and is built for one. Attached to a heavy duty tricycle frame made to haul goods, the cab-over easily sits on the back platform. Like a turtle shell this camper goes anywhere the owner can bike it. The camper’s interior features small and efficient appliances as well as a place to sleep and storage.

Kinetosis Kar is a 2006 Suzuki Aerio SX created by Glenn Garces. Currently, Kinetosis is predominately influenced by the De Stijl art movement. Glenn’s plans for Kinetosis include incorporating design elements from the Art Deco and Art Nouveau periods. Glenn was born in New York City , and attended the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan , where he graduated with his B.F.A. in photography. His personality is deeply influenced by the megalopolis known as the Northeastern Seaboard. Kinetosis is an extension of Glenn’s other art mediums of printmaking, photography and theater arts. Glenn is currently living in Santa Rosa, Ca. with his fiancée, two dogs, and four cats. Glen will be attending Art Car Fest this month

These Top 10 McGyver Wannabe Car Modifications were brought to you by a great website I just found called "There, I fixed it". This post is dedicated to all the McGyver wannabes out there who got the job DONE, but didn't quite manage to get the job done RIGHT.The creativity and good intentions were there but the delivery and execution was anything but.

1) Armor Plated Soccer Mom Van Mod

2) Skate or Die Mod

3) CSI Car Mod

4) Smaller Carbon Foot Print Car Mod

5) Trailer Park Car Mod

6) Global Warming Car Mod

7) Bi-Polar Car/Bike Mod

8) Ambient Air Car Mod

9) Night Rider Car Mod

10) Bank Job Getaway Car Mod

The Man in a Van Project - Needing a new water pump

Participant writing her recession story on the art van

Heartbreaking Recession Story

photos by maninavan's photostream

Aaron Heideman is an artist competing at art prize in Grand Rapids, Michigan, for the largest art prize competition in the world. His art car piece is called The Man in a Van Project, and is traveling the country collecting stories from people whose lives have been affected by the recession. Most stories are written by participants on a large roll of Tyvek paper, and the best will written on the art van itself. He is currently on the road planning to visit 37 cities in 20 states, and finish in Grand Rapids on September 15, 2009. There is a section on his web site for support help Aaron complete his project and bring the stories to light. Good luck.

Tartanmobile Art Car by Megan Kilian



The Tartanmobile art car a 86 Toyota Camry was just sent in by Megan Kilian who painted her car based on a family tartan. Here is what Megan had to say.

I had been thinking of painting a car plaid for several years, and had the opportunity when I moved back to San Francisco after several car-less years in Hong Kong and NYC. After studying all kinds of cool patterns, I chose this particular design because it is a Thompson family tartan, and I liked the idea of the pattern referring to my heritage instead of just being chosen randomly.

It began as a solid grey 1986 Toyota Camry that I purchased last October. At the time I bought it, the car had been owned for its entire life by one elderly Ukrainian man in San Francisco ’s Richmond district, who had put only 155,000 miles on it in 22 years, and had taken very good care of it. I’ve had a few minor issues: replaced the radiator and the water pump, but for the most part it has taken good care of me this year. I love that it was built while I was in junior high, and that the tape player still works, so I can play all my cassettes from high school while getting where I need to go.

I teach theatre classes in elementary schools around the Bay Area, and it has been fun to watch my students react to its progress as each layer of plaid was added. Kids love it—I’d like to think I’m triggering something in their brains that tells them they can express themselves creatively and uniquely. I finished the paint job over this summer and can’t wait to see their reactions once I begin teaching again this month!

Cheers, Megan Kilian