Photo exhibition will frame Portland’s bike scene

Rachel in her studio.
(Photo courtesy Rachel Siegel)

Portland artist Rachel Siegel wants to celebrate what she refers to as Portland’s, “astonishingly diverse and unique community of cyclists” with a juried, photographic exhibition.

Siegel is still in the planning stages but she already has a working title, Cycle Seen: Picturing Portland’s Bike Culture, and she has met with potential jurors and gallery owners for the show which is likely to take place in early 2008.

Siegel has a diverse portfolio and has a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Buffalo. She has also studied the art of revolution and propaganda at the Karl Marx University of Economics in Budapest Hungary.

Relatively new to Portland (she moved here in 2004) Siegel jumped into Portland’s bike scene (with her camera) during June’s Pedalpalooza events.

Here’s how she explains her vision for the Cycle Seen exhibition:

“The exhibition will try to cover the many assorted groups and activities that make-up the larger cycling culture…The Cycle Seen exhibition committee will be working with fine artists, documentarians, photojournalists, commercial photographers, and the bike/photo enthusiasts to cull together images that can tell the fullest story of Portland’s current biking scene…the focus for the exhibition will remain on a current snap shot of what’s happening “now” in the Portland metro area.”

Siegel also says that inn addition to the photographs, the exhibit will include flyers, posters, calendars, silk-screen t-shirts, and other materials from artists like illustrator Shawn Granton, and photographer Lyla Emery Reno.

Detail of event poster by Shawn Granton.

Photo by Lyla Emery Reno

With most of her experience in the art world, Siegel’s other motive for Cycle Seen is to create a bridge between Portland’s art and cycling communities,

“Many artists are involved in cycling and many cyclists use their creativity in building bikes and community events. We’d like to share the beauty and wonderment of the cycle community with the larger art community and we’d like to introduce cyclist into the art community.”

Educational events will also be planned to accompany the show.

If you’d like to get involved with this exhibit as a volunteer or if you’d like to submit your work for consideration, contact Rachel Siegel at volcanica@radiantflux.com. For more on Siegel, visit her website at Radiantflux.com.