BALTIMORE — Barnaby Wickham says he likes to joyride around Baltimore City on his bike.
But he says he never thought his hobby would be a catalyst for creating art.
“The one thing that I noticed was that was sort of pretty if you will, or has some beauty to it are all of these hubcaps, and if you're not looking for them, you don’t really notice them, but if you're on a bike you tend to notice a lot more because you are going slower and you're closer to the ground," says Wickham.
He started collecting the hubcaps in January.
“My goal at the beginning of the year was to collect 40 hubcaps throughout 2024," he says.
He reached that goal by March, so he didn’t stop there, he kept collecting until he had hundreds.
But then he was left with what to do with all of these hubcaps.
So he decided to make Christmas wreaths, one of which he keeps right outside his front door.
“It's 12 feet across and has 108 hubcaps. The one at my parent's house in Baltimore County is 17 feet across, and it has 219 hubcaps. It hangs from a tree so it's double-sided," says Wickham.
He says his passion project has even brought the community together. Throughout the year, many people gave him tips about where to find other hubcaps they came across or saw lying in the street.
Once he put the wreaths up after Thanksgiving, he says many people stop by just to get a closer look.
“It’s been either sort of indifferent or very positive. There are some people who are extremely arts and crafts, or they just appreciate the effort I think, and they have been really into it," he says.
Each hubcap has its own unique story, stories that may never get told, but Wickham says the art embodies his biking journey and his love for the city.
“I love Baltimore, I love to cycle around Baltimore and this project has just been an excuse to do even more cycling around the city. I love all of the history and the neighborhoods and the people and it’s a good excuse to go out on my bike and enjoy my time out," says Wickham.
After the holidays are over Wickham says he will be looking for a new home for the two wreaths and moving on to a new project.
The hubcap wreaths will be on display until the end of January.
