CONTACT:

Amanda Mott Michele Cohen Director of Communications Assistant Director of CommunicationsTel. 215-965-4068Cell 267-259-8610amott@moore.edu

Moore gets moving with this summerWith an exhibition devoted to Philadelphia’s Bicycle Community

June 19 – October 10, 2009(Performance and reception Friday June 19, 6 – 9 pm)

PHILADELPHIA (May 7, 2009): From May through October, Moore presents Bicycle: people + ideas in motion. The exhibition celebrates Philadelphia’s passion and commitment to the bicycle with a series of changing exhibitions, programs and events that explore the bicycle both as functional object and as a canvas for good causes, personal expression, civic mindedness and political beliefs.

In Philadelphia, the bicycle is used in a daily commute to school or work and in the summer as a prime outdoor activity along the Schuylkill River and Kelly Drive. Whether as a mode of transport, healthy hobby, or a world-class sport Philadelphians ride by the thousands on the road, on the track, on paths, and pretty much anywhere two wheels can go.

The main show, on view from June 19 through October 14 highlights annual Philadelphia events such as the Philadelphia International Cycling Championship Race, Bilenky Urban Cyclocross and Kensington Kinetic Sculpture Derby, as well as community-based organizations like Neighborhood Bike Works and the Pedal Co-op.

In addition to vintage bikes from Philadelphia collections, the core exhibition will feature a variety of bikes found in Philadelphia’s urban landscape: “fixies,” tandems, hand-built bikes, folding bikes, road and touring bikes, commuters, cargo bikes and more. The exhibition contents will rotate several times over the summer so there’s always something new to see through October.

While primarily focused on the Philadelphia-based bicycle community, artists and designers from Philadelphia and beyond who find inspiration to create new forms, functions and materials from bicycles and bicycle parts will also be featured in related exhibitions including: Ryan Humphrey, Lee Stoetzel, The Dufala Brothers, Aaron Igler/LURE and Dan Murphy, among others.

An exhibition on and about people in motion, the show hits the streets in June with a reception and performance by 80s BMX pro “Dizz” Hicks on Friday, June 19 from 6 to 8 pm followed by a summer of programs for all ages including artist designed bicycle parades, Bikes & Trikes Family Fun Day and curated bike tours. Organized by The Galleries at Moore and curated by Lorie Mertes, Rochelle F. Levy Director and Chief Curator.

RELATED EXHIBITIONS:

Ryan Humphrey: Fast ForwardLevy Gallery for the Arts in PhiladelphiaMay 29 – September 19, 2009Ryan Humphrey, a New York-based artist who stirred it up on the first season of Bravo's Top Design, will re-create his Fast Forward installation that was recently featured in the Queens International with a collection of more than thirty BMX bikes, three versions of Marcel Duchamp's Bicycle Wheel (1913) made from BMX bicycle parts, and a massive rug created with the help of designer Todd Oldham that will wrap the walls of the gallery. Bike ramps in the space will be artfully put to use by Ryan along with selected pro level BMX riders from the Philadelphia area and 80's pro John "Dizz" Hicks.

Bicycle Design’s Commuter Bike for the Masses Competition June 19 – October 12, 2009“What kind of bicycle, or pedal powered machine, would it take to get non-cyclists out of their cars for trips to the store or to work?” This is the question that drove an internet-based design competition for a transportation-oriented bicycle for the non-cyclist. A driving force in sharing ideas and creative solutions, this exhibition focuses on one blog’s contributions to creating dialogues on how pedal power can contribute to sustainable communities. James Thomas’ Bicycle Design blog invited a jury of six industrial designers and a journalist to select the six finalists and Torkel Dohmers' “ThisWay” winning entry whose designs are featured in the exhibition.

InSightsFrom May through October in conjunction with Bicycle: people + ideas in motion, the InSights series of exhibitions featured in the Window on Race Street gallery will feature rotating solo exhibitions of works inspired by the bicycle by Philadelphia-based artists.

Lee StoetzelMay 29 – July 4, 2009Philadelphia-based artist Lee Stoetzel will install a 10-foot x 8-foot high bicycle in the Insights Window on Race. Twice the scale of a regular bike, Big Bike is made entirely of Pecky cypress, a naturally degraded wood from his home state of Florida. The wood emphasizes the beauty and detail of the object's original design, the unusual textural quality of the wood, and the intricate craftsmanship of its re-creation.

Steven and Billy Blaise Dufala – Toilet TrikesJuly 11 – August 30, 2009Artists/brothers Steven and Billy Blaise Dufala create witty, satirical twists on the readymade inspiring us to think about new possibilities in odd combinations of objects. . Three of the Dufala Brothers’ racing tricycles made out of toilets painted with racing stripes and welded onto bike frames will be on view in addition to photographs and video of the Toilet Trikes being raced through Old City as part of the Philly Fringe Festival in 2005.

RELATED PROGRAMS:

Friday, May 29, 8 pmThe Secret Cinema – Bicycle Shorts - $7Celebrating Bicycle month and the opening of Bicycle: people + ideas in motion, The Secret Cinema presents Bicycle Shorts, a program of vintage short films all about the bicycle, curated by Jay Schwartz. A few highlights include: The Day the Bicycles Disappeared (1967), I'm No Fool with a Bicycle (1955), and The Eton Boys: "Bicycle Built for Two" (1941)

Friday June 19, 6 – 9 pmOpening Reception and Performance - FREECelebrating the opening of Bicycle: people + ideas in motion and related exhibitions including InSights artist projects. BMX bike performance by Ryan Humphrey and select Philadelphia BMXers.

Saturday, July 18, 2009, noon – 4 pmBikes & Trikes Family Fun Day on Aviator Park - FREEAn afternoon for kids and their families to show off their bikes and strut their stuff in a Bicycle Beauty Pageant & Talent Show in Aviator Park. Also featured are The Dufala Brothers’ Toliet Tricycle performance—funny contraptions that inspire us to think about new possibilities in odd combinations of objects—and hands-on art activities exploring witty and wacky ways of creating hands-on kinetic art from found objects drawing inspiration from the Dufala Brothers sculptures.

LURE presents a Joyous Noise and Sonic Intervention September 2009 – Date to be announced four weeks prior - weather permitting Aaron Igler, Philadelphia-based artist and founder of LURE (Lighting Urban Rooftop Environments) will curate two bike tours in an around Philadelphia. Playing on Philadelphia’s long tradition of parades and open to bike riders of all experience, a “Joyous Noise” daytime tour will take riders along West River Drive. A second night-time ride, a “sonic intervention” will be performed by selected artists along the Valley Forge trail to create a moving composition in lights and amplified sound activated by the randomized movements of the riders. This sonic ride will be recorded and later played as an accompanying sound work in the InSights space.

Gallery Hours: Monday through Friday 11am - 7pm; Saturday 11am - 5pm, Closed on Sunday and all academic and legal holidays

Programs and events are FREE and open to the public.

Moore College of Art & Design 20th Street and The Parkway, Philadelphia, PA 19103Call 215-965-4027 / www.thegalleriesatmoore.org/www.moore.edu The Galleries at Moore receives generous support from Moore College of Art & Design and the Friends of The Galleries at Moore. The Galleries also receive state arts funding support through a grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency as well as program support from the Philadelphia Cultural Fund and the Barra Foundation. In addition, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, an independent federal grant-making agency dedicated to creating and sustaining a nation of learners by helping libraries and museums serve their communities, supports The Galleries at Moore. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of the Institute of Museum and Library Services. —END—

Moore College of Art & Design, the nation's first and only women's art college, celebrates 160 years of educating women for careers in the visual arts. New coeducational graduate programs will expand Moore’s unique career-focused mission and student-focused environment. These features combined with the professionally active faculty form a dynamic community in the heart of Philadelphia's cultural district. The College offers a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with ten majors and beginning in Summer 2009, will offer three Master’s degrees. In addition, Moore provides many valuable opportunities in the arts through The Galleries at Moore, continuing education programs for professional adults, the acclaimed Young Artists Workshop for girls and boys grades 1-12, The Art Shop and the Sculpture Park. For more information about Moore, visit www.moore.edu.

# # #