The Wild Wheels of Trinidad, Colorado: Remembering Art Cartopia and ArtoCade

Maria De Jesus Chapa-Berry
Jul 17
2 min read

Trinidad, Colorado, might be a small town, but for over a decade, it was home to a phenomenon unlike any other: Art Cartopia, a museum dedicated to the wonderfully weird world of art cars, and its precursor, the legendary ArtoCade festival. While both closed their doors in 2023, their legacy of "cargantuan" creativity continues to inspire.

Where Creativity Hit the Road

Art Cartopia wasn't just a building filled with static displays; it was the permanent embodiment of a vibrant, moving art movement. Born from the success of the annual ArtoCade festival, the museum showcased over 25 wildly decorated vehicles. These weren't your everyday custom jobs; think cars elaborately sculpted with recycled materials, adorned with thousands of found objects, or even covered in cigarette butts (yes, the infamous "Stink Bug" was real!).

The museum itself was as quirky as its contents. Forget stuffy docents; Art Cartopia had "Splainers" – guides who brought the stories of these mobile masterpieces and their visionary creators to life, adding to the museum's unique, offbeat charm. Outside, you might even have been greeted by a giant red inflatable gorilla holding a car overhead, setting the perfect whimsical tone for what lay within.

ArtoCade: A Parade Like No Other

Before the museum, there was ArtoCade. This annual festival transformed Trinidad into a riot of color, sound, and pure imagination. It was more than just a parade; it was a rolling exhibition of artistry on wheels. The rule was simple: "If you can drive it, you can art it!" Cars, trucks, bikes, even golf carts were fair game, all reimagined into "wacky, whimsical, bizarre, and eclectic" art.

Imagine seeing the "Phoenix the Dragon Art Car," a fire-breathing wonder made from a Nissan pickup adorned with recycled CDs, or a full-sized "Bohemian Rhapsody" car, a mobile tribute to Queen complete with a keyboard and guitar on its exterior. These creations often championed sustainability, turning trash into treasure and proving that art can truly be found anywhere.

A Community's Canvas

What made Art Cartopia and ArtoCade truly special was their community spirit. Many of the art cars were collaborative projects, sometimes even involving local high school students. This fostered a unique bond, transforming ordinary vehicles into shared canvases and building a community of "Cartists" – individuals who expressed themselves freely, often outside conventional art circles.

While Art Cartopia and ArtoCade may be gone, they left an indelible mark on Trinidad, putting the town on the map as a hub for outsider art and showing the world the boundless possibilities when creativity hits the road.