2018 Project Bike – Opening Reception and Film Preview – October 5th

Project Bike is a woman-led, state-wide bicycle tour visiting visual artists in their studios.

As creative leader of the Project, I set out on a 17-day 960 mile art/bike tour this summer, advocating for the fact that every person has skills to share, wisdom to impart, and ideas that help grow and sustain their communities.

With my bike, trailer, and film crew, I connected with Minnesota artists living in rural communities and the Twin Cities.

“Project Bike’s 2018 opening reception and film premiere will take place Friday October 5th, 7-9 pm at the 410 Project in Mankato. The event is open and free to the public”

This year’s Project Bike took me and my riding partner, Kyle Zeiszler, all over the state from Moorhead, Brainard, Fergus Falls, Taylors Falls, Minneapolis, Kasota, and finally, back to Mankato. Traveling and living only by bike, we met with artists in their studios or homes, learning what motivates them to create art, and investing in our local creatives to understand them better and share the victories and struggles of being an artist.

Along with the interviews, I collected 2-4 pieces of art from each artist, packaged it up, and secured the work to the back of my bike, traveling with it through the rest of the tour. The collected art ranges in size, weight, and materials. There were 42 pieces of art work collected from 15 different artists along this year’s tour, including ceramics, metal sculpture, painting, glass blowing, computer illustrations, and tattoos.

Along the way, the trip was documented and filmed by friends and filmmakers Austin Swain and Maddie Fox, Independent filmmakers from Mankato. Their goals were to capture the tales from the trails and to share the true stories of the artists and what it means to be a maker in Minnesota.

Austin and Maddie have been working together for two years. They have worked together on multiple video productions, including award winners such as Finalist in Sound Design in the My RODE Reel competition, Best in Show, Best Cinematography, and Best Editing in the Red Eye Film Festival, and were featured in this years Speechless Film Festival.

The filmmakers relate that in this year’s Project Bike film you will get to know ten different artists from across Minnesota. You’ll see them in their element, learn about their work, and hear their stories. The mission of the Project is to bring communities and individuals together through art. The full length film will accomplish that by offering a unique perspective on how arts affect our state, our culture, and ourselves.

Project Bike’s 2018 opening reception and film premiere will take place Friday October 5th, 7-9 pm at the 410 Project in Mankato MN.

Visitors will be able to view all 42 pieces of art work collected, along with photographs and writings from the tour. Also that night the Project Bike team will premiere the 2018 documentary in the 410 Project’s back parking lot. Guest are welcome to bring chairs and blankets to sit on. There will also be warm drinks, live music, and snacks for people to enjoy as well.

This exhibition will be up till October 19th

Project Bike will also be showcasing all the art work collected and film for a one-night show October 20th, 7-9 pm at the Hennepin Theatre Trust, 900 Hennepin Avenue, in downtown Minneapolis.

Both of these events are open and free to the public.

2018 Project Bike Artist List