On behalf of Bike Friendly Kalamazoo and local artist Ellen VanderMyde, the City of Portage invites the public to help finish the large mural titled “When the Street Lights Come On” on Saturday, October 15 from 1 to 5 PM. This event will take place at Clark Logic, 7809 Lovers Lane in Portage, MI. The mural was selected by Bike Friendly Kalamazoo’s Art Committee as expressing the theme of the joys of bicycling. Bike Friendly Kalamazoo’s public mural program began in 2022 as a means for enriching public spaces while encouraging bicycling and promoting public safety, all at the same time.
“My reason for creating this piece is a desire to transmit the sense of delight and wonder I feel while cycling to inspire others to ride,” states VanderMyde. “I grew up riding the trails in Kalamazoo and Portage and have ridden past this building many times with my father. I’m thrilled to be a part of the first mural dedicated to expressing the joys of bicycling as part of Bike Friendly Kalamazoo’s program.”
Patrick Hershberger, chair of BFK’s Art Committee as well as the Kalamazoo County Public Art Commission, observes about the program, “We will be attracting top talent from within and outside our community to coalesce around bike-positive public art. We have an opportunity to give back to our communities through creativity and connecting via the joy of bicycling.”
“Greater numbers of bicyclists on the roads is positively correlated with improvements in public safety,” observes Paul Selden, Bike Friendly Kalamazoo’s president. “These joyful images will put a smile in the hearts of those passing by, improving our quality of life, if only for a moment.” Selden hopes that seeing joyful images of bicyclists, “who could be family members, friends and neighbors,” will encourage motorists to drive more carefully.
Clark Logic’s president, Jamie Clark, sponsors the Clark Logic cycling race team. He states, “I’m excited about the mural. The effort has my enthusiastic support,”
The mural was made possible through the generosity of the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo, and Bike Friendly Kalamazoo.
For more information, please contact the Office of Public Information at (269) 324-9230.
