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April 18, 2008 - 3:25AM
Scottsdale Cycle of the Arts a good ride
Comments | RecommendAlbert Ching, Tribune
Here in the Valley, we’re still in that elusive, magical time when it’s nice enough to actually want to do things outside — like a relaxing Sunday morning bike ride.
So it makes sense that Scottsdale’s public art and transportation departments are teaming up for Sunday’s Cycle the Arts, a nine-mile trail of sculptures around the city’s downtown, Civic Center mall and Crosscut Canal path.
It’s a guided tour, so participants can learn from Scottsdale Public Art staff members about pieces like Clyde Ross Morgan’s statue of the late four-term Scottsdale mayor, Herb Drinkwater, or Donald Lipski’s “The Doors” on the corner of Scottsdale and Camelback roads while they cruise by on their bikes.
“It’s a much more friendly atmosphere than a typical bike ride, and we’ve got some really cool art to show off,” says Reed Kempton, the organizer of the event and bicycle transportation planner for Scottsdale.
Kempton adds that cyclists of all skill levels are welcome.
“It takes about two hours,” he says of the course. “A real leisurely pace. Nobody will have any trouble keeping up.”
This is the third year for the annual event, which grew from 40 cyclists in 2006 to around 100 last year. Kempton says the past two years have attracted a family-heavy crowd, with a roughly even split between experienced cyclists and two-wheel novices.
Cycle the Arts also features live, interactive art demonstrations ongoing throughout the trail. Cyndi Coon of Tempe art duo Laboratory 5 will be staging the bike-themed “Sound Cycle.”
“It’s made from bike parts and bike accessories turned into sound instruments,” explains Scottsdale Public Art events coordinator Diana Fisher. “People can interact with it before and after the ride.”
The tour will start and end at the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, and all participants will get in the museum free Sunday upon completing the trail.
The first piece to be discussed on the trail will be Robert Indiana’s iconic “Love” on the Scottsdale Civic Center grounds, one of about 20 on display throughout the world. The last stop will be “Knight Rise” at the museum’s sculpture garden, a skyspace by James Turrell installed in 2001. All riders must wear a helmet to participate.
Kempton says that events like Cycle the Arts are a way to get people thinking about alternate modes of transportation, especially as gas prices near $4 a gallon.
“Hopefully we’ll get more people commuting by bicycle, and riding their bikes,” he says.
“We’re really trying to improve our bicycle facilities so people have a choice, and feel comfortable with their choices.”
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