Recycled, reused and refurbished bicycle pieces will come to life this weekend at the 18th annual BICAS Art Auction.
The auction will feature more than 200 pieces of bicycle-inspired art and is a flagship event for the nonprofit Bicycle Inter-Community Art and Salvage organization. Bicycle-inspired art will be on display at the organization’s Underground Art Gallery today, for a preview. The art will be auctioned on Saturday in the hopes of generating funds to keep BICAS’ doors open for another year.
Artists could submit work made from any recyclable or reused materials, particularly bicycle parts, to the annual silent auction.
“I hope people will generally support the longevity of BICAS,” said Tanya Rich, BICAS’ art coordinator. The auction will kick off the celebration of BICAS’ 25th year as a nonprofit.
The show will feature both functional and aesthetic pieces inspired by bicycles, such as bike racks, working bicycles, photographs and paintings. Among all the art that will be showcased this weekend, a 2-and-a-half-foot pirate ship made with fenders, cables and other recycled pieces is expected to be the highlight of the show, according to Erik Bang, an employee at BICAS.
Although many of the contributing artists are based in Tucson, people come to the auction from many different states, and even from abroad. Some art submissions are also sent in by mail.
One of many artists contributing to the show, Paul Nosa will be crafting his work on the spot with bicycle parts and a sewing machine, taking his inspiration from three words drawn from the crowd. All of the proceeds from Nosa’s skit and artwork will go to BICAS.
Bang has been working at BICAS for several years, and will be presenting his bicycle-inspired art at the show this year.
“I’m sure a lot of people will be inspired to create their own things,” Bang said. “It’s a chance to showcase some of the artistic talent in the community that’s kind of reflected through BICAS.”
In the months of preparation, Bang created functional items such as lamps, bike racks and towel racks out of recycled and refurbished items.
Patrick Cobb, a Colorado-based firefighter who travels to Tucson in the winter, will showcase his photography during the auction. After 22 hours of shooting pictures of bicycles, Cobb created a collage titled “All The Bikes At BICAS.” He took pictures of dozens of different bicycles, both old and new, shiny and rustic.
“It’ll be interesting to see who shows up to see all the pieces on display,” Cobb said. “I think it’ll be a fun experience.”
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