Articles

September 2026:

Professor Steven McAlpine and his Team represented Baltimore at the Lowell Kinetic Sculpture Race (KSR) on September 19, 2026.The KS Team took Baltimore’s 2025 Art Winner (Image Man) and transformed it into the Charm City Bromobile for the Lowell Kinetic Sculpture Race! The sculpture representing the City by celebrating iconic Baltimore’s amazing architecture, including scale models of:

  • The Inner Harbor World Trade Center
  • Camden Yards Stadium
  • The American Visionary Art Museum (AVAM)
  • The Bromo-Seltzer Tower

The Charm City Bromobile came in 5th place in the KSR.

 

May 2025:

UMBC Stories author, Catherine Meyers, wrote this article covering the Image Man sculpture in the Kinetic Sculpture race partnered with The IMAGE Center of Maryland

 

“UMBC teams up with disability advocacy organization on Kinetic Sculpture Race—and wins best art award”

Articles: 2015-2019

2019

Version 4.0 MC Hammerhead is a new kinetic sculpture based upon a sculpture donated by the National Aquarium. The three trike, 20 foot long hinged machine uses recycling containers for pontoons and 300 shopping bags for “shark skin.”

UMBC Magazine author Randianne Leyshon wrote this article covering the 2019 Kinetic Sculpture team. Fish Out of Water

2017

Version 3.0, Kraken Calamari, was a redesign based on this year’s “food” theme, including a checkered tablecloth, a kraken ketchup bottle, and giant onion rings. Kraken 3.0 won “Best Design based on this year’s theme” aka The Wiener Award (the 2017 race was called “The Best of the Wurst).”

2016

Version 2.0, The Kraken Upcycle, partnered with Zipcar in 2016 to upcycle their operator manuals into a beautiful sail and bribes. Kraken 2.0 won the “Golden Flipper Award” in Lowell MA for best water entry.

2015

Version 1.0, The Kraken Upcycle, won the Grand Prize at the Baltimore Kinetic Sculpture Race in 2015, qualifying the team to race in the national race in California.

INDS Assistant Director Steven McAlpine authored this article after the 2015 Kinetic Sculpture team won the Grand Prize at the Baltimore Kinetic Sculpture Race.

What Does It Mean to “Win”? Lessons from the Kinetic Sculpture Project.