GAINESVILLE - An art car is a vehicle that has had its appearance modified as an act of personal artistic expression. Tracing origins to the late 1960s/early 1970s counterculture and once strongest in Texas and the Southeast, the art car trend has expanded throughout the country. Most “Cartists” and enthusiasts operate very much like traditional folk artists, many using their "art cars" as their primary mode of transportation and to transport their art to and from outdoor shows.
This summer, The Quinlan Visual Arts Center in Gainesville has its very own art car.
Gainesville resident and car enthusiast Allen McClure came into possession of the vehicle from his friend Ralph Love. Part of the car is a 1973 Pontiac Ventura that following some extensive body damage had a truck bed affixed to the back end. McClure saw the potential and loaned it to the Quinlan to become art. It will be installed for the duration of the HOMEFOLK exhibition and as an evolving art piece that the students at Summer Art Camp (Folk Art Funky Town) will use for artistic expression. It will be painted and repainted all summer, constantly changing over the next six weeks, serving as temporary art exhibition as well as to raise awareness about the Summer Art Camp program at The Quinlan and the HOMEFOLK art exhibition.
For more information on art cars and to see the Quinlan car evolve, visit The Quinlan's Facebook page or click on http://www.qvac.org.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2015/6/316549/quinlan-boasts-its-own-art-car