Bike Fun Fest Street Party Planned for Aug. 17

Four months' work on a downtown Davis mural will be celebrated next week with a street party.

Bike Fun Fest, scheduled for 9 a.m. to noon on Aug. 17, will be held on 3rd Street between E and F streets.

A full press release from the Davis Art Center follows:

Join the Davis Art Center and Paint Bike Fun at the Bike Fun Fest, a street party to celebrate Davis’ first community bike mural. This family-friendly celebration will fill 3rd street between F and E streets with live music, do-it-yourself bicycle and helmet decorating, free art activities, and back-to-school bike safety information.

During the Bike Fun Fest, kids and adults can get their bikes all ready for back-to-school with helmet, handlebar and bike decorating. Mayor Joe Krovoza will cut the ceremonial ribbon at 10:45 am. Local bands Whole Earth Family Jam andThe Hoots will be playing from 10:00-12:00 and Dilly Dally the Clown will be making balloon bicycles for the kids. There will be face-painting, giant chalk drawings and make-your-own bike panniers. Activities will be hosted by the City of Davis’ Street Smarts program and Ride Walk Davis, Davis Bicycles!, Cool Davis and the Davis Art Center’s Discovery Art Program.

The Bike Fun Fest will celebrate the completion of over four months of work on the Bike Fun mural, a whimsical, colorful painting on the corner of F and 3rd Streets. A multi-generational process, the mural was inspired by drawings from children in the community.

Artist Danielle Fodor led the community-design-and-paint process to celebrate Davis’ most treasured pastime, cycling. This mural marks the launch of her multicity public art project, Paint Bike Fun,which uses community murals to involve children in creating bike culture, while painting vibrant, fun-filled public monuments to cycling.

Over 50 community artists -- children and adults, novice painters and professionals -- contributed to the mural which highlights all things local from sunflower fields to our bicycle police. “This mural is special because there have been so many hands in the making of it,” said mother Cynthia Guerrero, one of the many community members who helped paint the mural. Full of tiny surprises and nods to our local culture, this mural is sure to bring smiles to many faces.

The mural is a collaboration between Paint Bike Fun and the Davis Art Center’s Discovery Art Program.Additional support for this event provided by Genentech, the City of Davis Street Smarts program, Ride Walk Davis, Davis Downtown and the James Irvine Foundation.

Volunteers still needed for the event! For more information on Paint Bike Fun or to volunteer, go to paintbikefun.com or email daniellefodor@gmail.com

Paint Bike Fun: Paint Bike Fun is a multi-city interactive public art project led by muralist Danielle Fodor that supports and builds youth bike culture by creating vibrant, fun-filled art about the joy of cycling. Paint Bike Fun’s murals, events, and classes promote cycling, build community, and provide art opportunities for kids, adults, and families. Paint Bike Fun was formed when a toddler said to his artist mother, “I want to go in the car!” That started her thinking -- how could she make cycling more fun?

The Davis Art Center is a gathering place for dynamic engagement with the arts. Through multi-disciplinary classes and programs for the regional community, the Art Center inspires creative expression in people of all ages and fosters an environment for the arts to flourish. We reach over 25,000 community members annually through creative, interactive arts programs and classes. The Davis Art Center strives to provide a welcoming environment for people of all ages and backgrounds to share in the making of art. We promote art experiences as essential components of individual growth and community life.

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