Parade puts creativity on display
If you see a dragon on Massachusetts Street on Saturday, don't be alarmed. It's just part of the Art Tougeau parade. Enlarge video
The Batmobile or Herbie the Love Bug could pull into the parking lot of Martin Nelick’s school, and it’s doubtful they would attract more attention than his own ride.
The Baldwin High School senior has lately been driving his souped-up Chevy G20 to class prior to its official unveiling at this weekend’s Art Tougeau parade.
“The kids love it. They’ll be climbing all over it,” Nelick says. “The administration hates it. I took it to school once during an alumni-come-home banquet, and the administration got ticked off about it being there when all the old people were around. Either way, it gets a lot of strong reactions.”
Nicknamed the Dragon Wagon, Nelick’s creation actually began as a mandatory school assignment.
Nelick remodeled the old family van that had been sitting idle in his driveway for years. The horns of the Dragon Wagon are actually Vietnam-era rocket fairings that Nelick bought off eBay.
“Baldwin does this thing called the senior project, and you’re supposed to help out the community or build something. I was already doing some volunteer work at a hospital, so I figured I’d do something for fun,” the 18-year-old says.
So Nelick set his sights on the old family van that had sat dormant for years in the driveway of his rural property on the south edge of Lawrence. Unfortunately, the 1989 Chevy had been gathering more than just dust.
“Rats were living in it,” he reveals. “Lots of them.”
Past Event
Art Tougeau Parade
- When: Saturday, May 16, 2009, noon
- Where: Downtown Lawrence, Lawrence
- Cost: Free
- More on this event....
As part of his senior project, Nelick was required to select a mentor. He turned to family friend Pat Slimmer of Slimmer’s Automotive Service, 2030 E. 23rd St.
“First, he helped me get it running,” Nelick says. “The hardest part about getting it road-ready was some work had to be done on the suspension, some tires had to be replaced, and a lot of electrical work had to be done because the rats had chewed it all up.
“Just the other day I started it up, and there was a rat (in the engine), and it got torn apart.”
Slimmer and Nelick decided the van would be a perfect candidate to be transformed into a piece worthy of the Art Tougeau parade, an annual downtown Lawrence tradition that features wheeled art creations from local and national artists.
“The curse of art cars is you take the worst vehicle in the world that’s about to die and you make an art car out of that. But once you’ve done that, you can’t let it die anymore,” says Slimmer, who is president of the parade board.
Pre-Parade Activities
• Art Car Cruise: From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. today, art cars artists will travel to various Lawrence schools to show off their creations. There they’ll explain to kids why on earth you would take a perfectly good boat and put it on a car chassis.
•Painting Party: From 6:30 p.m.-9 p.m. a painting party will be held on the top level of the parking garage and Ninth and New Hampshire streets. Bring your car, bikes, skateboards or whatever and decorate it for the parade. Live music and popcorn will be served.
As soon as the vehicle actually became drivable, Nelick went to work on its eye-popping design.
“I sat down with some friends, and we came up with everything from a rocket ship to a rainbow to one that was a black-and-white optical illusion,” Nelick says.
“We figured (a dragon) would be the easiest thing to do because a lot of it was just paint.”
Covered with red and yellow scales, the Dragon Wagon also features Stegosaurus-style fins made of plywood material and teeth that look like they were once part of a picket fence. The most unusual addition is a set of horns, which are actually Vietnam-era rocket fairings that Nelick bought off eBay.
While he considers the art van a real creative success, Nelick wasn’t able to modify it entirely the way he wanted. Plans were scrapped for installing a smoke system that would shoot flames out the van’s mouth.
“You definitely notice it coming down the road,” says Slimmer, who is no stranger to odd vehicles. His past Art Tougeau projects have included a UFO car and a Cadillac covered in chalkboard paint so kids can draw on it.
Slimmer says Nelick truly rose to the occasion with this enterprise.
“Martin is a good kid. He’s really focused. He stuck with it and got it done,” Slimmer says.
The student will get to show off his beast as part of the pre-parade festivities, which includes assembling the cars for elementary school children. Sadly, that will be one of the few Art Tougeau events Nelick will be able to partake in.
Past Event
Art Tougeau post-party with the Prairie Acre
- When: Saturday, May 16, 2009, 3 p.m.
- Where: The Replay Lounge, 946 Mass., Lawrence
- Cost: Free
- More on this event....
“I’m going to have to have somebody else drive it on Saturday in the parade because I’ll be at graduation,” he says.
So what will happen to the Dragon Wagon after the parade has ended?
Nelick notes, “It’s for sale.”
Comments
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mommaeffortx2 (anonymous) says…
nice job martin good job.
bluerose (anonymous) says…
it's awesome!!!
and i am an "old people". (sort of)
but i believe creative work and re-use are very very important.
not to mention good humor.
so there!
salad (anonymous) says…
Very cool! However, no matter how nice a guy he is, no parent wants a kid in a van to pullin' up to take their daughter out on a date. It's not a van...it's a mobile motel room.
mommaeffortx2 (anonymous) says…
not sure on that one salad hubby a moterhead he would probably think it was cool as he**. That said he would also give the hour long speech on thats my baby and you know what will happen if you hurt her.. typical dad stuff.
cg22165 (anonymous) says…
Ditto Blue,
Awesome!
hawkofku (anonymous) says…
The photo caption says that he will be driving it in the parade the article says that he will be at graduation. Whatever the case, I say congratulations on both accomplishments!
Parrysmom (anonymous) says…
That's really cool! I wonder how long it took them to paint the scales on it? Awesome job!
amyc (anonymous) says…
I remember Martin's mom driving that van before he was born! Great job, amazingly creative!
autie (anonymous) says…
With that, I guess you'd never have to worry about losing your car in the parking lot.
avoice (anonymous) says…
Some of the former Art Tougeau vehicles have become icons around Lawrence. Maybe the Dragon Wagon will find more of a welcome here than back home. What a unique senior project!
75x55 (anonymous) says…
Announcing next year's top Senior Project ....
Doing something about the rat problem in Baldwin....
Sheesh!
timhibbard (Tim Hibbard) says…
We saw that van out and about the other day. Definitely a head turner!
LA_Ex (anonymous) says…
I love it!!! Good job.
Pywacket (anonymous) says…
Wonderful job! And BOO to the humorless Baldwin admin who looked down on it. (Not surprised... sigh..)
Very refreshing, especially after having to listen to another Baldwin HS senior project recently. Living fairly near Baker stadium, we were "treated" to hours of caterwauling from a Jesus fest going on there. Bleah.
The van project is so creative and fun! Wonder if Martin intends to major in art.
bearded_gnome (anonymous) says…
seriously, the administration didn't like it? that's pretty sad.
***
“Martin is a good kid. He’s really focused. He stuck with it and got it done,” Slimmer says.
+++
congratulations Martin and Pat. good job and good work together.