FAQs

Q: Two Events: Community Sculpture Race & River Festival Race-what’s the difference?

Cambridge Arts River Festival, Saturday, June 3 (entry deadline March 4) is a ¾ mile juried race of pushed, pulled, or pedaled sculpture with a following daylong exhibition at the Cambridge Arts River Festival. The festival is an annual celebration with 150,000–200,000 festival-goers. Participants have the opportunity to join in a spectacular, well-attended event, and exhibit their work publicly on Race Day and on the PSR site. Entries are due March 4. See the website for detailed rules and updates
Community Sculpture Race & Exhibition at Danehy Park, April 22, (entry deadline April 11) is a ½-mile unjuried race and exhibition of wheeled kinetic sculptures in northwest Cambridge (near Fresh Pond Mall) open to all. We welcome racing sculptures for the race and drawings & prototypes for the exhibition. This is a Cambridge Science Festival event. (Rocket Day takes place next to the racecourse & exhibition. We will also participate in the Festival’s Science Carnival & Robot Zoo on April 15.
Q. What is the ‘cash purse’ that will be distribute for the June 3 River Festival Race.
A. The New England Foundation for the Arts gave PSR a grant this year, part of which is dedicated to be shared equally be participants in the June 3 River Festival Race. (No funds are available this year for the Community Sculpture Race.)

Q. How do I submit proposals for each event individually?

A. For the Community Sculpture Race at Danehy Park: if you plan to race, please submit your entry by April 11 to . For the Exhibition, let us know as soon as you can so we can send you instructions or just show up on the day of the event.

A. For The Cambridge Arts River Festival Race, you should submit your entry by February 26 to . Please see the call for entries for details. We will let you know within a week whether your proposal has been accepted. Then get to work building it! In the submission subject line, please put the word “Race” and include your last name.

Q. May I ask a question that isn’t answered on your website?

A. Please feel free to send your questions (and suggestions for the website) to .

MORE FAQS ABOUT THE JUNE 3 RIVER FESTIVAL RACE

Q: Who may participate?

A. Anyone may submit a proposal, and may join the race if the proposal is approved.

Q: What is the difference between People’s Sculpture Racing (PSR) and the nationally popular Kinetic Sculpture Racing (KSR) genre?

A: PSR racing sculptures, like those of World Sculpture Racing, favor art, are predominately pushed and pulled, and performatively race along short, flat urban courses. KSR vehicles are all pedaled, and have a stronger engineering focus, because they traverse difficult terrains or obstacles.

Q: I have two left feet. May my friends and extended family race my sculpture?

A: Yes.

Q: I have an old racing sculpture in the loft of my sister-in-law’s barn. It was shown at the Venice Biennale in ’97. Do entries have to be made new and never-before-shown for this event?

A: Take out your oil can! That said, in the case of a work having raced recently, jurors *may* give more weight to new works at their discretion.