Route 27

Artist Bernard Williams created Route 27 using painted plywood, lumber, aluminum, and paint. It stands 6 x 6 x 20 ft.

The first iteration of this piece was exhibited in 2013. Each time it's shown, the artist makes adjustments to update the sculpture, incorporating histories from the location in which it’s shown. 

For this piece, Williams employs an exaggerated, graphic style to emphasize the race car as a symbol of risk, adventure, and mechanical progress. Through this work, the artist pays tribute to Wendell Scott, the first Black man to win a NASCAR premier league event. 

Visible across the body of the race car sculpture, Williams has painted various symbols, drawing inspiration from both mass culture and site-specific histories. For Elmhurst, the artist honors the lifetime achievements of the local NASCAR winner, Fred Lorenzen (1934-2024). In doing so, Williams merges historical roots with contemporary cultural material (advertising, fashion, sports, comics, television, and movies), reshaping the race car’s iconic form for new interpretations.