Fans of the art car movement were devastated and saddened in April by the horribly premature death of Tom Kennedy. Since then, there have been numerous events held in his memory, and there are more to come over the coming weeks. Tom, who made his debut on the scene with his art car Ripper the Friendly Shark, tragically drowned on April the 12th 2009, leaving a huge hole in the Art Car movement. His death, although devastating to those who knew him and those who were not so lucky but admired his work, has been mourned with real sadness, but also with an artistic outpouring that pays testament to his own vision.

One element of the memorial ceremonies held to commemorate Tom’s life and his work was an art car caravan which drove its way to an indoor memorial service. In keeping with the feel of the event, one car in the caravan was put together by Tré Taylor and took the form of a Pontiac adorned with candles. A nice touch – mourning the death of an art car pioneer in a way that pays tribute to the sadness of the occasion also keeps a genuine art car element. This embodied the spirit of the proceedings, which involved artistic contributions from various individuals. This year’s annual Art Car Ball in Houston was dedicated to Tom, and contributions went to his memorial fund to help his widow and family. Perhaps the most telling part of all the memorial events has been the subtitle to Tom’s memorial – “A Celebration of Life”. It is how he would have wanted it.