Detail of a Wil Taylor piece
ve-loc-i-pede: noun - a vehicle, usually having two or three wheels, that is propelled by the rider.
In a time when El Tour de Tucson is putting national attention on cycling, local artists are showing their support for Tucson’s thriving bike community through an exhibit called The VelociPrint Show 2011, in which all works of art are bicycle-related.
In screen prints, wood blocks and limited-edition posters, 30 local artists will showcase their love for velocipedes November 12-13 at Borderlands Brewing Company, 119 E. Toole Ave. All of the pieces are $35 regardless of size, with bicycle-advocacy groups BICAS and El Grupo receiving a percentage of the proceeds. Admission to the show is free.
“My piece is about the culture of Tucson: it’s bicycles and it’s bar life,” said Mel Dominguez, a local artist who painted a set of prints for the show. “Since moving (from Los Angeles) to Tucson, I sort of found my mojo here, and I’ve been so blessed to create and paint some things that I like and enjoy, like bicycles. It’s part of the culture that we love.”
The exhibit is a result of a year’s worth of planning by Nathan Saxton, owner of Borealis Arts, who first became inspired to host the event after visiting ARTCRANK, a bike-themed art poster show in Denver, Colorado.
“I started becoming a bike commuter recently and it’s not an exaggeration to say it’s changed portions of my life for the better,” said Saxton. “There are a lot of people here that respond to the bicycle lifestyle, and that’s represented in beautiful artwork as well.”
Timed a week before El Tour and coinciding with the Greater Arizona Bicycling Association’s Bicycle Swap on Fourth Avenue, the show’s events also features spinning bikes from O2 Fitness and a beer garden with local beers from Borderlands Brewing Company.
“We’re brand new and it’s our first art show here,” said Myles Stone, co-owner of Borderlands. “We’re happy to provide the venue for The VelociPrint Show. We’re all cyclists ourselves, and bicycles are an easy-tie in with beer.”
Local artist Joe Marshall created a wood-cut print titled “Balance” for the exhibit, and says he got involved because of his connection to the biking community as a bike commuter.
“I’ve always liked bikes, I’ve donated work to BICAS a lot and volunteered there,” said Marshall. “I didn’t learn to ride a bike until I was in my 30s, and I fix my own bikes now.”
The VelociPrint Show was funded in part by a grant Saxton received from Kickstarter.com, an online fundraiser in which artists can submit ideas for projects and receive funding if they reach their projected fiscal goal within a set time frame.
For The VelociPrint Show, the goal was $1250 within 30 days. On the last day of fundraising, the project was still $100 short—until artists and supporters, including Marshall, pitched in to kick them over the edge.
“There was only a day to go and I just said, ‘oh, you can’t get this close and not get it’,” said Marshall, who donated $50. “Tucson has a pretty big bike community and letting people know that, showing that you can use your bike as a way to get around, is a good thing.”
The two days of events are followed by a screening of the film, “On My Own Two Wheels,” at the Fox Theatre, 17 W. Congress St., on November 16.
“The cool thing about the show is that the whole biking community has really gotten behind it, from the super high-money racer crowd to BICAS,” said Saxton. “This entire show has been planned on a bicycle—no air quality was harmed in the making of this art show.”
The exhibit and its events start on Saturday, November 12 at 4 p.m. and run until 10 p.m. that night, featuring beer specials and more. The family-friendly event is open to all ages. On Sunday, November 13, things kick off at 11 a.m. run until 4 p.m. For more information, visit VelociPrints.com.
