Baltimore's streets have turned into an accidental art gallery, courtesy of one local cyclist and his peculiar collection. Barnaby Wickham, a 54-year-old marketing professional, rides the city's thoroughfares, eyes peeled for discarded hubcaps that he transforms into sprawling artistic installations. In a statement obtained by Fox Baltimore, Wickham shared the allure of his endeavor: “I think it’s sort of the excitement of the hunt, for one thing, I love to cycle. I love Baltimore. I love to go out in Baltimore, and there’s just enough hubcaps and other things like car grills to be interesting, but not so many that it’s too easy.”
Since his venture began in early 2024, Wickham's collection has grown to over 700 hubcaps, some even sourced from places as distant as Ohio and Italy, demonstrating his commitment to expanding the scope of this artistic pursuit while maintaining a catalog of locations on a Google map, a detail he revealed in a conversation with Fox Baltimore. His garage dually serves as a storage and a workshop, where the magic happens, from Christmas wreaths to a gigantic Snoopy head, flexing the creative muscle of Charm City, which doesn't hesitate to celebrate its idiosyncrasies, a trait also echoed by The Sun Chronicle.
Wickham's process is a mix of resourcefulness and simplicity, utilizing zip ties and expanded metal frameworks to piece together each find into a cohesive art piece. His wife, Kate, plays a significant role too, her assistance in construction and her risk-averse advisory echoing through musings she shared with Fox Baltimore: “I’m just support team, and occasionally the cautious person who says, you can’t drive on this road, you can’t bike on this road or whatever. So I’m just more kind of supporting his love of trying new things.”
