To most, a bicycle is a utilitarian object – made to ride to and from places.
To some, a bicycle is a lifestyle.
To even fewer, a bicycle is an object to obsess over. To paint strange colors and to buy $350 Japanese tires for. To some, a bicycle is like a Range Rover – a place to display their monetary successes and to feel cool.
To us, here at the humble Red Chair, our bicycles are something in between. We don’t have Japanese tires or custom hand-built wheels or Campagnolo components (though we lust over such objects on a daily basis…). What we do have is a healthy appreciation for pedal power and the veritable genius of bicycle mechanics.
One could say, we appreciate bikes much like we appreciate art. Huh…seems like a logical time to introduce the event we’re talking about…
So, the Minneapolis Institute of Arts does these crazy cool Thursday night events every 3rd Thursday of the month aptly titled…Third Thursdays…and this week’s is dedicated to our favorite two-wheeled mode of transit: BIKES.
Hundreds, maybe thousands of Minnesotans will ride to the MIA to catch some amazing art, to see a bike film festival and to imbibe the way most every biker does – with great love and passion (and of course, with a helmet to wear on the ride home!). We think this event is pretty spectacular, and to get you all in the mood for bike and art and beer and gear, well, we decided to interview the MIA’s Alex Bortolot – one of the many Institute employees behind this killer event.
Can you tell us a little bit about what “Third Thursday” is, and why the MIA chose to go with a bicycle theme this month?
Third Thursday is a monthly program that happens on the third Thursday of each month. It connects the MIA’s younger audience to the museum and its collection in ways that feel authentic to their passions, social styles, and creativity.
Third Thursday Bike Night is an annual event for us - this is our second Bike Night – and there are a lot of reasons why celebrating bikes here at the museum just makes sense. For one thing, there’s real crossover between the cycling world and the art world here in the Twin Cities. Many MIA staff bike to work and work the MIA Green Team to find ways to reduce our museum’s environmental impact. Bicycling Magazine recently pronounced the Twin Cities the nation’s #1 bicycling city - and here in the Whittier neighborhood bikes are an important part of life for a lot of our neighbors. We want to recognize and support the Twin Cities and our local folks in particular.
You know, there’s a real art connection too. There’s a great tradition of late 19th and early 20th century poster art made by leading French and British artists for the bike manufacturers of the day. Also, the MIA has an incredible industrial design collection that includes the Tatra T87 car and other items that are beautiful, well made, and designed to work really well. I think for most people bikes fall into the same category of object - simultaneously aesthetic and functional.
Do you ride a bike? What kind?
I do ride a bike – actually I have three at home and there’s a unicycle in my parent’s garage that I never quite mastered. I was a bike mechanic for a couple of years during high school so I’m sort of a recovering gear head. I’ve got a road bike and a mountain bike, plus an old Cannondale rigid frame that I rebuilt this year as a commuter bike.
There’s been a huge crossover in recent years between bicycle culture and art culture – even spawning art shows dedicated to bicycle artwork (see: Art Crank). Why do you think this connection makes sense?
I think if you asked five bikers you’d get five different answers, but here’s my take: First of all, art and bikes both bring people together and are great local community-builders. The Twin Cities have an amazingly strong arts scene and incredible support for cycling. It’s natural that the two would overlap. Also, artists are makers – they like to get into things, get messy, change stuff. Bikes offer the same opportunities, whether that means a DIY paint job, greasing your chain, or fixing flats.
I also think riders, especially those out there on their bikes year-round, have made a conscious decision to not isolate themselves from the world around them – they’ve decided on a slower pace that lets them soak up the feel of the city, the people, and the weather. It’s just living differently - feeling more, being more observant. That’s the sort of person who naturally gravitates to art, which offers that same experience of engagement.
Are there any special activities/additions to this Third Thursday that people should know about?
Yeah! For the first time ever we’re hosting the opening night of the Minneapolis Bicycle Film Festival, now in it’s fifth year in the Twin Cities. (The Bicycle Film Festival is an international film festival that’s been around for 10 years.) This year features outdoor music by A Night in the Box, plus complementary bike valet and safety checkups from our great partners Dero, Freewheel, and the Hub. Inside we’ll be showing some of the handy-work of the area’s finest frame builders. And like last year we’re giving away a ton of great stuff – including a Surly bike and a Traitor Cycles frame set.
What are the details for this event?
Thursday, July 15
6-9 PM
Minneapolis Museum of Art
2400 Third Ave S
