PORTAGE, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — Local artist Ellen VanderMyde along with the City of Portage are inviting the public to help finish the large mural titled “When the Street Lights Come On” on Saturday, October 15.
The event will take place at Clark Logic from 1 to 5 p.m. at 7809 Lovers Lane in Portage.
The mural was selected by Bike Friendly Kalamazoo’s Art Committee as expressing the theme of the joys of bicycling.
Officials say that 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,” said 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.”
“Greater numbers of bicyclists on the roads is positively correlated with improvements in public safety,” said Bike Friendly Kalamazoo’s president Paul Selden. “These joyful images will put a smile in the hearts of those passing by, improving our quality of life, if only for a moment,” continued Selden who said he 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. “I’m excited about the mural. The effort has my enthusiastic support,” said Clark.
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.
Comments