ARTCRANK PDX: Poster Art By and For Cyclists

Thursday, October 02, 2014

Üma Kleppinger, GoLocalPDX Contributor

Biking_artcrank

Design, art, and bikes collide in a colorful collaboration at ARTCRANK.

ARTCRANK began in 2007 with a show in Minneapolis (the “other” Bike City USA, wink wink). The organizers expected about 50 people to show up. Instead, 500 crowded in to take a peek at what happens when the world's most fun mode of getting around on wheels meets the most fun art medium.

Artists are invited to create an original poster design about bikes and what cycling means to them, in their lives. The original work is shown and all posters are made by hand, using printing techniques such as screen printing and letterpress. A small run of limited edition, signed and numbered prints are sold at each event.

In the years since its inception, the show has expanded to over 15 cities throughout the country, and in Europe and over 30,000 people have attended the events. Each event features the work of 30 or more artists, offering an incredible array of perspectives from serious to quirky, satirical to spiritual.

ARTCRANK's mission is to use creativity to change the way people think about bicycles and grow the cycling community.

In every city the show travels to, the group selects a Cause Partner: A local, national or international organization that’s using bicycles to make a difference in communities, help people live better lives, or just make the world a better place. In collaboration with event sponsors, ARTCRANK functions as a means to raise money and awareness for organizations such as world Bicycle Relief, People for Bikes, the International Mountain Biking Association, Bikes for Rwanda, and the Bicycle Transportation Alliance.

Whether you're just into bike culture, or you're a fan of poster art and graphic design, be sure to check out the awesome energy and spirit of ARTCRANK PDX 2014.

For more information, visit artcrank.com/portland

VIDEO LINK: http://vimeo.com/96209452