We last visited Humboldt County’s glorious kinetic sculptures in 2014, in the article “In Search of a Home for Humboldt’s Kinetic Sculptures.” We reported that sculptures and related memorabilia had lost their home at Kinetic Universe’s museum in Ferndale, and were languishing in storage sheds, garages and carports. Happily, a few months later Globe Properties in Eureka offered Kinetic Universe an outstanding deal on a location near the Eureka Co-op, and the collection was homeless no longer.
The Kinetic Museum Eureka is open Tuesdays through Sundays from 2:13 to 6:32pm, and until 9pm on First Saturdays for Arts Alive! The quirky hours are in homage to kinetic racing’s Glorious Founder, Hobart Brown, whose residential museum was open daily from 10:13am to 6:32pm. Similarly, every year the Championship course closes at 6:32pm on the first day.
Many of the museum’s exhibits were inherited at birth in 2007 by Kinetic Universe, which today conducts the Kinetic Grand Championship. Other exhibits, including most of the sculptures, are on more or less permanent loan from their owners. Of the memorabilia, each piece has its own story. For example, I asked Queen-President Kati Texas about a teddy bear perched by some awards, and learned that all participants in the Grand Championship are required to carry an object of psychological comfort, preferably a teddy bear, because they can’t have their mothers there. If you do bring your mother, however, then your mother has to carry a teddy bear. There is a Teddy Bear Princess who awards teddy bear prizes, and sometimes tickets for teddy bear abuse.
Currently the call is out for more stuff from the many hundreds of people who’ve participated in past kinetic events. The hunt is not just for things or pictures, but for the stories that go with them. A cool hat is a cool hat, but a cool hat with the story behind it is a museum piece.
There are many cool stories in Eureka’s Kinetic Museum.
110 3rd St, Door G, Eureka (google map)
Phone: 707-786-3443
KineticGrandChampionship.com/kinetic-museum-eureka
