Portland Art Museum to host 2013 World Naked Bike Ride

2012 World Naked Bike Ride - Portland-6

Coming to the South Park Blocks.
(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland)

The South Park Blocks, home to Portland’s grand theater venues, museums, and churches, will host the 2013 Portland World Naked Bike Ride on June 8th. Ride organizers have gained the blessing of the Portland Art Museum who will host the ride in the blocks directly in front of their building on SW Park between 9th and 10th avenues.

The Art Museum sees the Naked Bike Ride as a way to heighten awareness for their Cyclepedia: Iconic Bicycle Design exhibition that also happens open on June 8th. Here’s the official word from PAM’s Director of Public Relations Beth Heinrich:

“In celebration of Cyclepedia: Iconic Bicycle Design, the Portland Art Museum is delighted to welcome the World Naked Bike Ride (WNBR) to the Park Blocks in front of the Museum campus. The Museum will open the exhibition to participants before the ride begins and after the Museum is closed to the public…

WNBR will take place the first day the exhibition is open to the public and is sure to draw attention to Portland’s bike culture and the exhibition of this world class collection of iconic bicycles.”

Yep. 4-5,000 naked people on bikes will draw attention to just about anything!

Portland’s World Naked Bike Ride draws thousands of people and this year (its tenth) organizers are hoping to break a World Record (learn more about the history of the event here). While it’s a vast undertaking, the ride is put together by an all volunteer crew (that comes mostly from non-profit bike fun group Shift) that runs completely off of donations. One of the main organizers, Meghan Sinnott, tells us they are open — and very interested in — a large sponsor to help offset costs.

Sinnott also points out that they’ve got a brand new website at PDXWNBR.org. Also, tonight at Filmed By Bike is the debut of Bare as You Dare a 17-minute film by NW Documentary that chronicles Portland’s Naked Bike Ride through the words of its organizers, spectators, and participants. Sinnott will be taking donations for the Naked Bike Ride at the screening tonight at 7:00 pm at Clinton Street Theater (2522 SE Clinton).

You can donate right now on the WNBR website.

Mark your calendars for June 8th at 10:00 pm. Whether you go fully naked or not, everyone is encouraged to participate (not just spectate!) in this amazing and enthralling Portland tradition.

Keep up to date and learn more at the PDX WNBR Facebook page.

Jonathan Maus (Publisher/Editor)

Jonathan Maus (Publisher/Editor)

Founder of BikePortland (in 2005). Father of three. North Portlander. Basketball lover. Car owner and driver. If you have questions or feedback about this site or my work, feel free to contact me at @jonathan_maus on Twitter, via email at maus.jonathan@gmail.com, or phone/text at 503-706-8804. Also, if you read and appreciate this site, please become a supporter.

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dwainedibbly
dwainedibbly
10 years ago

Fantastic! Great tie-in with Art Museum. They’ve been hinting at a lot of great events and partnerships to go along with Cyclepedia. I can’t wait to see what else gets announced.

Mrs Dibbly has been after me to do the WNBR with her for 3 years now. This tie-in is fitting, as she is surely a work of Art. Me? Nobody really wants to see this…. Looks like I have 6 weeks to lose 20 pounds or more and start hitting the gym.

Adam
Adam
10 years ago

Awesome!! What a great tie-in with the museum. Can’t wait for it. And I second the commenter above – perhaps it’s time to hit the gym!

I hope that all we cyclists will leave the Park Blocks looking fantastic after this event. From what I understand, in previous years, the WNBR has been held either indoors (aka on private land), or in parking lots/vacant land (aka private land).

If this is the first time it is to be held in a public park, I hope we will not jeopardize our chances of holding it somewhere like this again, by leaving the park looking a total, trash-filled mess. I’m sure the awesome cohort of organizers/volunteers of the event have this issue totally covered, but i just wanted to throw in my two cents anyhow. I used to live just off the South Park Blocks, and I am strangely protective of them! Ok. Somewhat off-topic rant over!

Esther
Esther
10 years ago
Reply to  Adam

I agree, Adam! I am sure there are plenty of volunteer opportunities for clean-up available by signing up at https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dF84VUVwY0UzdEdDeWU5ZWtjMUZLTmc6MQ#gid=0
(or just go after the event and pick up some trash, but if you sign up there are usually cool benefits like after parties with free beer, etc).

Unfortunately, even with a bunch of enviro-loving bikers, with 10-20,000 people you still have drunks/assholes/inconsiderate/thoughtless poeple who WILL leave trash. With that as a given, it’s up to the rest of us who participate to do our part to keep the Park Blocks clean.

Gregg
10 years ago

I love this town.

Craig Harlow
Craig Harlow
10 years ago

The film debut was already on Sunday–and it was awesome. It’s part of a film collection that will be shown again tonight, at the 7pm screening of “Bicycle Dreams

http://filmedbybike.org/2013/04/18/schedule-overview/

John Lascurettes
10 years ago

Love love love the tie in and the support from the PAM. I’ve been thinking of renewing my PAM membership ever since that exhibition was announce and am even more likely to do so now.

I only hope the public park and downtown location won’t increase the lurker-creeper factor at the staging area too much. It was already increase multiple times just by leaving industrial NW to go down to inner SE (even it was an empty lot).

Joel
Joel
10 years ago

Great to see PAM supporting the naked bike ride. Unfortunately they are also supporting members of PBA and as such have thrown their clout to stop the building of a bike lane a few blocks from the museum.

Adams Carroll (News Intern)
Reply to  Joel

Hi Joel,

You must have missed my update to that story. PAM does not support the PBA’s opposition of Street Seats and bike corrals. Yes, they are on the Downtown Retail Council, but they were not even aware of the position being taken.

John Lascurettes
10 years ago

Jonathan, I’m reading and rereading the article now and I don’t see any update to the story about opposition to the Street Seats and PAM’s position on that. Did you forget to hit “publish” on your update?

John Lascurettes
10 years ago

Sorry, an update to THAT story, not THIS one. Got it.

Shelly
Shelly
10 years ago
Reply to  Joel

I work at the museum and I didn’t know that. That is REALLY lame. >:(

Charles Cunningham
Charles Cunningham
10 years ago

I’ve ridden in perhaps a thousand or more bike rides usually starting about 8:00 – 9:00 AM and NEVER was there a ride scheduled to begin at 10 o’clock at NIGHT!

SilkySlim
SilkySlim
10 years ago

Well, if you want to start early there was nude day ride last year as well!

Spiffy
10 years ago

most of the organized rides I go on start at 10pm or midnight…

Gil Johnson
Gil Johnson
10 years ago

Awesome! Exhibts AND exhibitionists.

CycleMoles Robin
10 years ago

Two thoughts:
1) Ummm, ouch
2) You guys in Portland do all the cool stuff

Terry D
Terry D
10 years ago

This is a MUCH better location than last year. Excellent.

Anthony
Anthony
10 years ago

I’m just wondering, considering how much the ride keeps growing each year, how all those people are going to fit in that area. It sounds like it’ll be really congested/dense.

jim
jim
10 years ago

Art tax at work