Press Release
Contact: Mitzi Rapkin, Community Relations Director, City of Aspen; mitzi.rapkin@ci.apen.co.us and 970-920-5082 or 970-319-2791
Aspen, Colorado – June 22, 2011–
The City of Aspen has issued a “Call for Artists” looking for Roaring Fork Valley residents who are interested in making a bicycle sculpture to display on City sidewalks, malls and parks. The idea is to incorporate public art into the festivities surrounding the US Pro Cycling Challenge that is coming through Aspen on August 24th.
“I am hoping that a variety of individuals will submit designs and commit to making a sculpture,” said Mitzi Rapkin, Community Relations Director for the City. “This art project is open to everyone. Many people may not call themselves artists, but we all have something creative to offer. Since so many residents here embrace the bicycle, I hope this idea will attract all sorts of people inspired to make a sculpture and express their unique vision.”
The sculptures will be out for display for the month of August. The City is encouraging people to used recycled materials but whatever people choose to make their sculptures out of, it needs to be either heavy enough so people couldn’t steal it off the street or light enough for local business people to bring into their shops or restaurants at night.
Aside from creating art that looks like a bicycle, there are few guidelines for the structure of the piece. “It can be made out of wood, scraps of metal, pennies or wire. It can be a tricycle made of bailing wire or a unicycle made out of used nails for example,” Rapkin said. “As long as it can endure being outside for a month with lots of people touching it, we’d love to see people’s concepts manifest into reality.”
One of the goals of the art is to remind people to come to town for the Pro Cycling Challenge or the women’s race events leading up to it. “This whole Valley is such a Mecca for bikers, if the sculpture just reminds people of the freedom a bike can offer or moves them to make a piece of art themselves, that would be so rewarding,” Rapkin said.
The plan is to display the art from August 1-30. A list of specs and guidelines for artists is available on the City’s website. The due date for submissions is July 18th.
Link to specs and flyer: http://bit.ly/iOVupu
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