Crazy and Curious California Attractions

Art Car Festival hits the Road  in Silicon Valley, Caravan from Norcal to Socal. artcarfest.com.
 
ArtCars are street-legal vehicles that artists have permanently
modified into a work of art. They bring creativity and
individual expression into people's lives 365 days per year.
ArtCar artists come from many backgrounds. Some are self–
taught folk artists, while others have formal art school
training or even custom car backgrounds. ArtCar artists follow
their individual notions about how to create or customize their
vehicle. Almost half of our artists are female.
"An ArtCar is often a fantasy made into a reality. It is in itself
a symbol of being free. . . it expresses the ideas, values, and
dreams of an individual."
- Harrod Blank, ArtCar artist, filmmaker
and ArtCar Fest Co-Founder
"ArtCars are street–legal vehicles that have been permanently
transformed into mobile sculptures. These aren't parade–
floats, they're registered, insured automobiles that artists
work on for years and exhibit to anyone who will look up."
- Philo Northrup, ArtCar artist, and ArtCar Fest Co-Founder
Featured ArtCars
The Vain Van by Emily Duffy 
Glass Quilt by Ron Dolce 
18 years in the making
Daisy Singer by Philo Northrup leading the ArtCar Fest caravan
 "ArtCars are born of the American impulse to think free"
- Ed "Big Daddy" Roth, Hot Rod King

ArtCar Fest is an all-volunteer, artist-run event. Founded by Philo Northrup & Harrod Blank 14 years ago, and is directed by Emily Duffy - all of whom are ArtCar artists. Harrod & Philo started their first ArtCars in the early 1980s, but did not meet until 1992. Philo and Harrod collaborated on several ArtCar caravans across the country, and in 1997 decided that California needed its own festival to exhibit ArtCars. Emily joined in 1997 with her now famous Mondrian Mobile. Harrod has published three books and directed three documentary films on the subject. His publications are considered standard references on the medium, and he has founded a museum dedicated to ArtCars in Arizona called Art Car World.

Calliope the CANaloupe CANapillar,

world's hairiest limo!

Call me at CANaloupe Castle: (408) 773-8288
Castle is a woman who does things her own way. She buys old limousines and turns them into giant caterpillars, frogs and toucans with the help of expanding foam, duck feathers and fluorescent spray paint, then rents them out for kids' parties.

The whole madcap adventure began in 1976, when 24-year-old Castle was working on developing a positive attitude.

"I was painting my house," she explains, "and the color was called 'cantaloupe.' And I had this realization: I don't want to paint my house cantaloupe! I want to paint my house canaloupe!"

In time Castle created an entire philosophy (and vocabulary and life) based on the Can-Do philosophy. Along with husband Exeter and daughter Tahoe, she moved into a "canaloupe"-colored Victorian in San Martin, where she developed a musical seminar on cassette and in a booklet intended to help children develop positive self-images and learn how to do the Canaloupe Can-Can. (She has since moved out of the Dreamsicle-hued dwelling.) She decorated a trailer to look like a castle and made it the Canaloupe Clubhouse. She launched a TV program on Cupertino's public access station (full title: "Gustine Castle and All You Other Melon-Headed Can-Do Type C Personalities Out There"). And she started driving a caterpillar. Make that a "canapillar."
This Fall ArtCar Fest  hits the road to visit our Southern California friends. Our unique, mobile artworks will be on public display twice during our visit. First is our appearance at the Santa Ana Art Walk on Saturday, October 1, 2011.The ArtCar Caravan then heads East to Joshua Tree. We'll be at Art Queen Gallery on Thursday, October 6, 2011.