2023 Houston Art Car Parade: Participating artists tell ABC13 where their inspirations come from
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The annual Art Car parade was a big hit for excited spectators to enjoy the cross-section of art and engineering.
It's an art that goes as far as your imagination will let you.
"I just love taking a bad idea and engineering it until you're like, that's kind of a good idea," designer Cody Hovland said.
Hovland took a tint remote control Tesla, just large enough for one person to sit on, and redesigned it to hit speeds of up to 27 mph.
"I can't afford an actual Tesla yet, so I figured on a smaller scale, make it more affordable, this Tesla was 100 times cheaper," Hovland said.
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Artists across the city have poured their hearts into their mobile masterpieces.
Mark 'Scrap Daddy' Bradford is a reclaimed material artist who frequently returns year after year.
"It's something I look forward to every year. I'm just so grateful to have grown up in Houston," Bradford said.
Bradford made a ten-foot-tall Teas mosquito, fixed upon wheels, that powers like a single-gear bike. It's a new design for the artists this year.
"I've learned so much on this vehicle, and I want to share my ideas with other people," Bradford said.
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An Art Car parade regular also appeared. He was a 2003 judge with a first-place car winner that depicted a metallic set of snakes pulling a silver boat.
"It's designed to look like a mid-evil hot rod," designer Kenny Browning said.
Browning said this wasn't just an afternoon of fun but an opportunity to inspire.
"It puts the seed of art in their minds and influences young kids," Browning said.
A sentiment one former Houston teacher appreciates.
"A lot of schools put in cars, and I love seeing the creativity of our youth," Sarah Mitcham said.
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