Bike the Art connects Madison community with local art

Bike the Art participates making their way to Art In. (Jolynne Roorda)

Madison’s second Bike the Art tour will take place Saturday Oct. 8, inviting Madison residents to hop on their bikes and spend the afternoon touring eight local art venues around the city.

The new art-focused bicycle tour is the result of a collaborative project between two prominent arts organizations in Madison, The Bubbler at Madison Public Library and the Arts + Literature Laboratory.

According to Trent Miller, head organizer and bubblerian at The Bubbler, the two organizations had wanted to work together for some time. The idea for Bike the Art began in a parking lot at a small meet up for Madison art curators.

“We had been looking for a good way to collaborate because our organizations are doing some really similar things, and we just thought a bike tour of art spaces in Madison would be a really great way to connect these different venues,” Miller said.

Over 50 Madison residents of all ages came out for the first Bike the Art Tour, which took place on Sept. 10. While most people biked, some participants followed on foot or meet up with the larger group along the way. 

Saturday’s guided tour Saturday will begin at 12:45 p.m. at the Allen Centennial Garden, which features sculptures and exhibitions by University of Wisconsin-Madison art students. Other venues along the way will feature an interactive, food-focused art experience, artist talks, beadwork and hands-on poetry. 

Spatula and Barcode serving up food and conversation during their interactive, food-focused art event. (Jolynne Roorda)

The tour spends 20 to 30 minutes at each venue, and participants are welcome to join the tour at any stage. The tour ends at 4:00 p.m.at the Arts + Literature Laboratory.

According to Jolynne Roorda, co-founder of the Arts + Literature Laboratory and an organizer of Bike the Art, the tour is a great way bring Madison residents together and expose them local art all while being active.

“There is something about doing the tour as a group that makes it even more special,” Roorda said. “While we could just hand people a map and show them what venues to go to, making it a guided tour really brings people out and allows new audiences to be introduced to all the art in Madison.”

Both Miller and Roorda hope to continue Bike the Art throughout the fall, and are looking into possible forms of transportation during the approaching winter.

Bike the Art is a free tour and all Madison residents are welcome to follow the tour’s progress via Instagram or Facebook @biketheart.

Jerry Jordan’s art exhibition showcased during September’s Bike the Art. (Jolynne Roorda)