The art of the automobile

Maybe it’s Andy Warhol’s famous “Cars” depicting the evolution of Mercedes Benz as an innovative automobile manufacturer. 

Or maybe it’s “Clothed Automobiles” by Salvador Dali, with the memorable Cadillac draped in fine fabric.

No mater what work of art comes to mind first, everyone has a classic car that they recall from pop culture. The Highlands Motoring Festival and The Bascom Center for the Visual Arts are hoping to bring back more of those memories when the two organizations partner for a 2021 exhibition celebrating cars in art.

“Freewheeling – the allure of the automobile in contemporary art” will be on display in Bunzl Gallery at The Bascom from May 11 to Aug. 21, 2021. Highlands Motoring Foundation president Knight Martorell will curate the exhibition.

“Mr. Martorell, aside from being the president of the Highlands Motoring Foundation, is also a friend of The Bascom, so it was a natural fit,” The Bascom exhibitions manager Zach Rogers said. “He is a car enthusiast who also has an eye for, and a love of, art. Over the next several months he will be working to plan out the exhibition in his mind, locate the works and reach out to artists.”

Freewheeling will feature works of renowned international automotive artists, including canvas, paper and sculpture. Additionally, there will be a rotating display of extremely rare and special automobiles in the gallery – a testament to the concept of the automobile itself as art.

Rogers will transform the Bunzl Gallery into an ode to horsepower prior to the May 2021 opening so that car lovers from across the country can view the exhibition during the Highlands Motoring Festival from June 10-13.

“This is going to be a big show for 2021, so it’s exciting to have the festival as the centerpiece during the exhibition’s run,” Rogers said. 

During the exhibition, The Bascom will host several events for the public, including artist/curator discussions, an automotive photography presentation and a model car display. Dates and times for those events will be announced prior to the exhibition’s opening.

“We are really excited to work with The Bascom and their amazing staff to do something new and unique for 2021,” Highlands Motoring Festival co-chair Mark Chmar said. “We feel like the exhibition will bring an added dimension to our traditional offerings as part of the motoring festival.”

The theme for the 2021 Highlands Motoring Festival is “Pure Bloods d’Italia,” featuring famous names such as Ferrari, Lamborghini and Masserati during the Cars in the Park juried show event on June 12. Cars in the Park is not limited to Italian classics, meaning iconic manufacturers such as Porsche, BMW, Rolls Royce and more will also be on display in the 100-vehicle field.

Along with Cars in the Park and the Freewheeling exhibition, the 2021 Highlands Motoring Festival will also include One lap of the Mountains driving tours and High Octane – a casual car show open to all classic makes and models.

For more information about the Highlands Motoring Festival, visit www.highlandsmotoringfestival.com. For more information about the Freewheeling exhibition, visit www.freewheelinghighlands.com.