jhf62 Art Jewelry ■ March 2016
the shape of the cutout in the bench top for the bench
pin [f]), they determined what the top of the bench
would look like. They chose to make a drop-leaf top so
that it could fit through doorways but also be opened
to provide additional working space.
After months of working on the ArtCycle and only
having a collection of pieces and parts to show for it, it
was hard to believe the trike was going to come together.
The final steps were to paint the frame, attach the wheels
[g], fabricate the handlebar (partially made from brass
sink pipes donated by Davis’ father), add the bench top,
the floor boards, the kickstands, and the brackets for the
canvas tool roll that would secure the needed metal-
smithing tools while the bike was in motion.
Once the final day of assembly came, the pressure
was on. Davis was tasked with making the seat. She used
particleboard, upholstery foam and tacks, black vinyl,
and some help from Kevin Giese (Associate Lecturer and
Woodshop Lab Technician at UWM) to make a wood-
en rim for the seat. Once the seat was mounted, it was
time to add the finishing touches and take it for a test
ride. The ArtCycle was finished!
The presentation
After strategically maneuvering the ArtCycle into the
elevator [h] and riding it through the UWM Union, Rachel
presented the ArtCycle to the SURF committee on an
afternoon in April 2015. Though her hands were ice-cold
and shaking, she made it through the presentation. At
the end, she even rode the ArtCycle around the room
while answering questions about how the brakes worked
and how it turned. That’s when she saw it really click with
people. “It’s one thing to see the creation and listen to
someone talk about it, but there’s a different level of
understanding that comes from seeing it in action.”
Davis and Bernard didn’t expect anything, but attend-
ed the awards ceremony anyway. And it’s a good thing
they did! As the only arts-related project to win an award
[i], they were ecstatic, and Davis took the ArtCycle for a
celebratory spin [j]. After putting a year and a half into
creating the ArtCycle, it was refreshing to have other
people see it and believe in it, too.
Out and about
Davis and Bernard have taken the ArtCycle to the streets
of Milwaukee many times since then (though, now that
Davis has moved 500 miles away for grad school, Bernard
is the ArtCycle wrangler). Bernard rode the ArtCycle to
many venues throughout the summer and fall of 2015,
Learn more about the ArtCycle
at http://www.artcyclemke.com.