Kensington Kinetic Sculpture Derby

Above is the Shad Run Team Designed By Paul Filanowski and the winner of the People's Choice Awards! 

THANK YOU TO ALL WHO MADE 2008's Kinetic Sculpture Derby a huge success! Please go to the Derbies Past page to view photos!

Check out this awesome video below by Andrew David Watson!

ABOUT

The KKSD was started in 2007 as an Economic Development Initiative of the New Kensington Community Development Corporation (NKCDC) with the East Kensington Neighbors Association's Trenton Avenue Arts Festival. New Kensington Community Development Corporation (NKCDC) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to revitalizing the East Kensington, Fishtown, and Port Richmond neighborhoods in Philadelphia. Since 1985 we have been working with local residents and businesses, the city, and other partners to enhance the physical environment, increase the economic vitality, and improve the quality of life for everyone in our service area.

On May 19th 2007 the first ever Kensington Kinetic Sculpture Derby went off without a hitch with over 10 entries! The cooperation with the Trenton Avenue Arts Festival went well bringing in over 2000 people to the area through out the day. The Trenton Avenue Arts Fest is a day long craft fair with live music and local food and beverages. The two events complimented each other beautifully . The Trenton Ave Arts Festival is a project of The East Kensington Neighbors Association (EKNA). EKNA is an all volunteer run resident group seeking to create a forum for neighbors to meet and take action on improving their neighborhood. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON the TRENTON AVENUE ARTS FESTIVAL go to www.ekna.org.

What is a Kinetic Sculpture? Click for Wiki article

A Kinetic Sculpture is a Human-powered vehicle that also has an artistic theme. Think of parade floats on bicycles, or mummers on hand crank driven pirate ships, or an alien space ship on 2 welded together bikes, think of a giant pink poodle hurdling through space, mud, sand and water. A Kinetic Sculpture Competition is all about fun and ingenuity, making the wackiest, most interesting contraption is the goal- finishing the course or winnning is not. Kinetic Sculpture Competitions have been taking place all over the world since 1969 when a California artist named Hobart Brown made some artistic improvements to his son's tricycle.

View the YOU TUBE Video by Daniel Kent

Frequently Asked Questions are here

Please see these websites to get some history on the beginning of Kinetic Sculpture Racing.

• The Kinetic Universe in Arcata California
  
• American Visionary Art Museum's KSR
• Port Townsend Washington KSR
• Klamath Falls, Oregon
• Corvallis Oregon's Davinci Days

FOR QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS EVENT PLEASE CONTACT Project Manager Kathryn Doherty at 215 427 0350 x 120.

Website by Jody Hamilton using Designs by Katy Yeaw