April 2012

SANTA CLARA, Calif., April 5, 2012 -- The de Saisset Museum at Santa Clara University kicks off its spring season with two new exhibitions running from April 13 to July 1, 2012.

“Clunkers to MTBs: The Evolution of the Mountain Bike” traces the roots of the mountain bike in the Bay Area back to its origins in the 1970s—with enthusiasts  “clunking” down the hills in Marin County and Cupertino. “The late 1970s was a historical moment with a deep connection to this area,” says Lindsey Kouvaris, curator of exhibits and collections at the museum.

Visitors can view photographs documenting the early days of off-road racing in Marin County, historic bikes, and ephemera of the grassroots Repack Races, as well as  contemporary bikes and design sketches that speak to the latest innovations in modern mountain biking.

“Chain Reaction: Artists Consider the Bicycle” looks at bicycles through the eyes of artists. Featuring 15 works by nine artists, the exhibition explores the bike from every angle imaginable: isolating abstract forms, breaking the subject into component parts, calling attention to the beauty of everyday experience, or recasting the bicycle as a form of social commentary.

“This exhibit showcases fine artists working in multiple media who deal with the bike through the imagery, the inspiration, or the actual components of the bike in their fine art work, such as photographs, paintings, or sculpture,” Kouvaris explains.

EVENTS
April 12, 6 p.m. Panel Discussion with bicycle advocate and original Marin County rider Joe Breeze, professional mountain biker Andrew Taylor, and Santa Cruz Bicycles head of engineering Joe Graney.

April 26, 7 to 10 p.m. Bike Blast. A mountain bike demonstration by Andrew Taylor and a variety of activities for all ages—hands-on art, gallery scavenger hunts, live music, photo booths, docent tours, and more. All programs are free and open to the public.

For more information on upcoming exhibitions and programs, visit www.scu.edu/desaisset.

Clunkers to MTBs is made possible through the contributions of Keith Bontrager, Joe Breeze, Sheila Castelli, Wende Cragg, Fox Head, Inc., Fox Shocks, Inc., Otis Guy; Charlie Kelly, Kevin Kenney, Ibis Bicycles, Inc., Marin Bikes, Jerry Riboli, Preston Sandusky, Santa Cruz Bicycles, Specialized Bicycle Components, and Andrew Taylor.

Media Contact:
Lindsey Kouvaris | de Saisset Museum | 408-554-4528 | lkouvaris@scu.edu