The Beloved Bicycle--Elevated to Art Form for First Thursdays

This blog post was submitted Development Director JoAnn Yoshimoto.  


Inspired by our location in Pioneer Square, and the high-ceiling office space that was formerly an art gallery, the Bicycle Alliance has been hosting First Thursday Art Walks each month since June – and we plan to continue through October 6.


If you haven’t yet attended Art Walk at the Bicycle Alliance, you’re missing out on the creativity of the original bicycle-themed multi-media work. You’re missing out on the chance to have your very own “blind contour portrait” created while you wait. And you’re missing out on the opportunity to own some unique art, both decorative and functional.


Barb Culp and Andy Goulding are the proud new owners of a one-of-a-kind apple wood bench that features a vintage bicycle basket repurposed as a magazine rack. Artist Jesse Knutson is hard at work on a second bench that will hopefully be finished in time to display at the Bicycle Alliance office before it is put up for bid at our Auction on October 22.

Within five minutes of Sarah Young installing her acrylics on canvas, one of the pieces was sporting a green dot, indicating that it had been sold. “This piece just spoke to me, with its combination of Northwest native design and of course the bright red bicycle,” explained Josh Miller with a grin. “I feel a little guilty for jumping on it…should I return it and give others a chance?” Fortunately, Sarah has promised to produce more of this distinctive work, for First Thursday.

If the Bicycle Alliance ever needs a new motto, this work by Marie Zahradnik would get my vote! Marie is also the artist who creates blind contour portraits for guests at First Thursdays. I was about to include a picture of one of these portraits, but thought it better to entice you to come and see for yourself on October 6!

Our friend Craig Snyder works in Commuter Services at Seattle Children’s Hospital. He created especially for the Bicycle Alliance a June Drawing Cycle, a collection of drawings and paintings completed each day in June, on bicycle-related themes from daily observations. Each work is 4” x 6” graphite and acrylic on paper. Many works are already sporting telltale dots (meaning they’re sold) but some are still available for a mere $25 donation.

 When I presented this work by Lisa Reynolds to my son for his birthday, he said it was the best gift I’ve ever given him! Twenty-five years ago we used to pedal around Kilauea, Hawaii together, as captured in this encaustic piece.

Perhaps the “sketchiest” artist of all is our own Andy Goulding. He created a series of sketches of local bike shops for First Thursday, including this scene of Bike Port/JRA Bike Shop/Bicycle Alliance office.

You owe it to yourself to come on down and see the wonderful art for yourself. Our last First Thursday Art Walk of 2011 will be Thursday October 6, 5-8 pm. Hope to see you then!