After a stint as an airplane mechanic with the U.S. Army in Cambrai – Fritsh Kaserne Darmstadt, Germany, and time spent running hot rods with his friends on local empty roads, he become an artist in 1962 and moved to
Humboldt County, California. Arriving with his wife and two sons, he opened the first of several
Hobart Galleries; the first in
Eureka, California, others in Trinidad and finally
Ferndale, California. Over the years, the
Hobart Galleries represented more than 150 local artists – launching several careers and providing exposure to younger artists by adding them to an established stable of better-known names. Hobart had four children, three boys and one girl. Hobart was instrumental in helping
Morris Graves settle in his home in the hills outside Loleta, California. During northern hemisphere winters until 2006, Hobart migrated to Australia, where he was first artist-in-residence at Happ's Winery, later at
Leeuwin Wine Estates in
Margaret River, Western Australia where his public welding studio was on their patio. His art was also displayed in the winery itself. In 2006–07, Hobart was unable to travel to Australia due to his debility due to the advancement of his severe case of rheumatoid arthritis. Following several months of being in and out of treatment facilities, he suffered a stroke on May 17, 2007. He died of pneumonia in the
Redwood Memorial Hospital in Fortuna California on November 7, 2007. Hobart's gallery was sold in January, 2009 to local business owners.
Kinetic Sculpture Races In 1969, Hobart started the
Kinetic Sculpture Race, almost by accident when he modified his son's tricycle to a five-wheeled, decorated "
Pentacycle" and another local artist and gallery owner, Jack Mays, challenged him to a race down Main Street on Mother's Day. Raceday came, so did ten other challengers. Neither Hobart nor Jack won the race, that honor went to Bob Brown (no relation) piloting his Kinetic Turtle. Hobart was acclaimed "the Glorious Founder" of the race. The races continue as of 2025. The race is no longer just down the street but now is the longest human powered sculpture race in the world. The course covers approximately 42 miles of sand, water, pavement, hills, more water, roads and freeways from Arcata, California to Ferndale, California. Hobart continued to sculpt and start other races. About ten Kinetic Races occur every year, from Baltimore to Western Australia, the spirit of "Adults having fun so children want to get older" infects individuals everywhere it lands. His later years were spent battling a disfiguring and crippling
rheumatoid arthritis. He continued his twice yearly peregrinations from north to south in search of the warmest, driest times of the year.
Exhibits, collectors and awards A few of Hobart's many exhibits have included: White House and
Smithsonian Museum, Washington, D.C.; the Ronald Reagan Museum, BC Gallery, Walnut Creek, CA; LA City Museum; Palm Springs Museum; Leeuwin Estates, Australia; and the Oscar Mayer Museum. Hobart's collectors include President
Ronald Reagan,
Johnny Carson, Congressman Don Clausen, LA City Museum, U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln, Riverboat Casino Las Vegas, California Department of Transportation, the College of the Redwoods and more than 500 individuals and companies. Hobart created the
Republican Party Perpetual Trophy by commission from the Party. Over the years, Hobart received many awards including listings in Who's Who Worldwide, being made an honorary Rotarian and annual proclamations from both the Eureka and Arcata City Councils. Hobart was covered by media including: • Television – ABC, CBS, CNN, Disney, NBC Today Show, Nickelodeon, Weird Houses and Weird Wheels, Game Show Network, and more. • Movies – "It will Have Blinking Eyes" an award-winning documentary about the Kinetic Sculpture Race by China Blue films shown at the Sundance Film Festival. • Print –
National Geographic World,
Popular Mechanics,
San Francisco Chronicle,
Smithsonian Magazine,
The Times,
Los Angeles Times,
Chicago Sun-Times,
The Age, Perth Australia Time,
Times-Standard,
Arcata Eye,
North Coast Journal,
Humboldt Independent and
The Eureka Reporter. • Radio – broadcaster for six years and many interviews. • Publications •
Kinetic Sculpture Racing, A Complete Guide: Founder Hobart Brown Tells All – a guide to Kinetic Sculpture Racing and its underlying philosophy. • Author and co-author of numerous articles in newspapers and local journals. • Quotations • "We're adults having fun so kids will want to get older." == References ==