410’s Project Bike 2017
Traveling Minnesota one Piece at a Time
One Bike, Ten Days, Ten Artists, One Art Museum, 500 Miles, and a lot of Determination
Opening Reception September 29th 7-9pm
Show runs Sept. 29th – Oct. 15th

Live music
Food by Pub 500
Collaborative Community Art Project

410’s Project Bike is a state wide bicycle tour with local artists setting the destinations. For 10 days, July 18th-27th, 410 Project’s Director Dana Sikkila set out on a 501 mile bike tour with her bike, trailer, and camera crew connecting with Minnesota artists, learning what motivates her fellow Minnesotans to create art. At each artist stop Sikkila collected one to four artworks which traveled along with her until she returned back to Mankato; 25 pieces of art work were collected along the tour ranging from ceramic sculpture, drawing, painting, mosaic, and printmaking.

410’s Project Bike 2017 Artists
Gregory Euclide – Le Sueur – Mixed Media
Gerry Kulzer – Litchfield – Ceramic Sculpture
Lisa Bergh – New London – Painting
Mary Bruno – St. Joesph – Printmaking
Emily Lynch – Delano – Painting
Bailey Cahlander – St. Paul – Mosaic
Heather Peebles – Minneapolis – Mixed Media
Thomas Fluharty – Prior Lake – Drawing/Painting
Michon Weeks – Northfield – Drawings/Printmaking
Arlo Chapman – Mankato – Quilting

Along the way her trip was documented by friends and fellow artists Murakami Productions, an independent production company out of Chicago, working in film, music videos, commercials, promos, web and corporate videos, capturing the tales from the trails and sharing artists’ stories of what it means to be a maker in Minnesota.

Jon Murakami, from Murakami Productions shares, “We have a treasure trove of cinematic shots, intimate moments, art, rain, and a feisty coyote named “Jeffery”. I’ve got my work cut out for me, but it’s great to have that pressure and passion back that I had back in my blading days.”

New this year, Project Bike collaborated with the Minneapolis Institute of Art. Not just touring the roads of Minnesota, 410’s Project Bike got a once in a life time chance to touring the halls of the MIA, bike and all. Interviewing MIA curator Nicole Soukup, Sikkila showcases how large art entities like the MIA share the same passion for highlighting and supporting Minnesota artists.

Getting down to the basics Sikkila proves that one person, a bicycle, and self-motivation can bring people together by sharing stories and creating awareness for the arts in Minnesota.

Quote from 2016 410’s Project Bike Artist, Jacob Yeates
“It goes without saying that there’s a lot of good coming from the project; being given the opportunity to share work, hearing from different creative minds, participating in a group show, etc; of course all of that is great. Beyond the immediate stuff though, I’d have to say what stands out most to me is how well Project Bike did in not only reminding me, but actively including me in an artistic community much larger than I would have otherwise thought of myself involved in. ”

View our 2016 410’s Project Bike Video:
https://vimeo.com/186444195

FREE and open to everyone to attend