ART RIDE
Riding through The New Center during Art Ride 2011.
In 2010, an arts organization in Chicago, another from Detroit and a couple of Detroit artists approached Forward Arts to create a bike and arts event in Detroit similar to a Chicago event. With the growing interest in public art and bikes, a Detroit event seemed natural. Enter “Art Ride”, with the first event taking place in August 2011 in conjunction with our Scripps Park Public Art Exhibit.
The 2011 Art Ride was a donation based public art bike tour, taking attendees to five sites around the city including Disneyland Hamtramck, Heidelberg Project satellite site "Street Folk 2", Recycle Here! (2-3 areas), Design 99 and ending with our Scripps Park Public Art Exhibit II opening. At each of the sites, attendees received information to the history of the art, artist and/or location. The finale at Scripps Park had over 8 art installations and included a performance piece by composer James Cornish & dancer Lisa LaMarre with The Pink FlaminGO! food truck on site serving up some delicious food.
Disneyland Hamtramck, one of the stops on Art Ride 2011.
About 50% of the money raised from the tour was donated to other community organizations such as Heidelberg Project, The Hub of Detroit for their Saturday kids bike program and Woodbridge Neighborhood Development Corporation. The rest will go to Forward Arts for paid artist opportunities and other costs.
As in other projects Forward Arts has done, the spirit of collaborating with leading organizations and individuals in their field applies with Art Ride as well. Sponsors for Art Ride 2011 include Criterium Detroit City, Bikes & Murder, The Hub of Detroit, Inside Detroit, VitaminWater and Downtown Ferndale Bike Shop.
2011 Flyer by Bikes & Murder
The 2011 Inaugural Art Ride committee consisted of co-founder of Bikes & Murder Jason Hall, Director and Founder of Criterium Detroit City Erika Fulk (national Detroit bike racing event), Dally in the Alley Festival Director Jenny Calhoun and Executive Director of Forward Arts and the Few Records owner Dominic Arellano.
Private Art Ride tours can be scheduled if wanted. Stay tuned for Art Ride 2012 details, gonna be even better!
If you would like to know more about Art Ride or get involved, please email info@ForwardArtsDetroit.org.
Over 100 people came out for the inaugural Art Ride in 2011. Scripps Park was filled with bikes and art!