Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum Announces Local Artists Selected for Upcoming Exhibition “Sleek: The Art of the Helmet”

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum announces the local artists selected for the upcoming exhibition, “Sleek: The Art of the Helmet,” which explores the art of the racing helmet and the stories behind the designs. The artists were selected after hosting an open call for those interested.

The artists selected are Faith Blackwell, Justin Brown, Grant M. Brownlow, Jessica Bowman, April Knauber, Nancy Lee, Shaunt’e Lewis, Austin Polen, and Greg Potter.

The artists were selected by a panel comprised of Museum exhibition team members and the Indy Arts Council. The group includes artists from Indianapolis, Franklin, Lafayette, and Winamac, with ages ranging from 18-65, all of whom work in various artistic mediums.

“Sleek” will feature 27 helmets; nine helmets will be from racing history, nine from current drivers, and nine from these selected artists. The exhibition is led by guest curator and local Indianapolis artist Amiah Mims.

“I was thrilled with the number of submissions we received and the overall interest in the project,” said Mims. “It was tricky to narrow the list down to nine. Each artist has a different style, which will give us a unique set of helmets in the end. I’m excited to work with this group–especially with those new to the museum and the world of racing in general–and I look forward to seeing the finished helmets as much as everyone else.”

The artist-created helmets will be auctioned off upon the exhibition’s close in early 2023. Funds raised will benefit the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, to support the sustainability of the collection with a percentage going back to the artist of each helmet.

“Sleek: The Art of the Helmet” is scheduled to open at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum in July 2022.

IMS Museum PR