The Waterworks Visual Art Center in Salisbury is revving up to welcome thousands of guests across several months for its exhibition celebrating the art of the automobile.
On Friday, the center opened “The Spark That Drives Us,” a visual art exhibit featuring the galleries of five internationally-acclaimed automobile artists tied to the same theme.
According to organizers, spectators can see a vehicle housed in their garage for years in a new light: As a culmination of creativity and artistry over the course of generations.
“They’ve always been part of our life, and what we’re trying to do here is see them as a work of art,” said Heidi Mraz, an artist and guest curator for the showcase.
Waterworks Visual Art Gallery resides in the former building of the McCanless Motor Company, which is once again welcoming cars inside its walls. In addition to the artists’ artwork, the show features two rare cars: a 1957 Dawson Ferret from the impressive collection of Ray Evernham, and a one-of-a-kind 1954 Martin Stationette from the Lane Motor Museum in Nashville.
As spectators wander through the exhibit, they’ll find immaculate watercolor paintings that magnify the fine details of cars, mixed medium artwork that pieces together the complex and fascinating stories of history’s most prominent cars, and sculptures that bend cars in dramatic ways to convey the speed and feeling of being inside one.
The show will run through Feb. 28, 2026. Visitors can attend Monday-Friday between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.
MEET THE ARTISTS:
Heidi Mraz: Driven by Narrative
Heidi Mraz uses a mixed medium approach to assemble the stories and cultural significance of vehicles. She goes beyond seeing a vehicle as a mode of transportation, but instead, a piece of artwork and partner in our lives that’s tied to our stories and emotions.
Stefan Johansson: The Flow State
Stefan Johansson’s art captures the indescribable feeling of being immersed in the moment while racing a vehicle, where time is replaced by instinct and control. He explores illustrations of motion and speed through bright and vivid pieces.
Michael Furman: Badass
Michael Furman takes the viewer to parts of an automobile often overlooked: its rear side. The photography’s goal is to tell a story from – quite literally – a different perspective. It’s the lasting impression one faces as a car drives away.
Dan McCrery: Beyond Realism
Dan McCrery uses watercolor to bring the spectator into the fine artwork of a vehicle, enhancing details down to the water droplets on a front bumper. The pieces highlight the abstract nature one can find in everyday cars.
Richard Pietruska: Form Follows Fantasy
Richard Pietruska’s handcrafted sculptures elegantly bend cars to capture their speed and fluidity in motion. In his words, it’s “a fusion of engineering and imagination brought to life through the artist’s hand, eye, and relentless pursuit of perfection.”
