Cycle the Arts features 13 Scottsdale Arts installations along route
Staff Reports | Digital Free Press
Scottsdale’s Transportation and Streets department and Scottsdale Arts are hosting the 2024 Cycle the Arts event on Sunday, April 21.
This year’s bike tour of the city’s public art collection will feature 13 art installations, according to a press release.
Artists, community volunteers and Scottsdale Arts staff will provide an overview of the artwork at each stop along the 8-mile bike route, the release states.
Original artwork for this year’s event was created by local artist Yazmin Yarely Acosta Sagastume featuring the city’s One-Eyed Jack sculpture. Found at Indian School Road and Marshall Way, One-Eyed Jack, by John Randall Nelson, is a 26-foot-tall jackrabbit made from painted steel.
The 20,000-pound rabbit welcomes residents and visitors to Old Town galleries, shops, and restaurants. Cycle the Arts attendees will receive commemorative event T-shirts, stickers, and a pocket guide to Scottsdale’s Public Art collection. The event is free; however, registration is required, and capacity is limited.
“April is Bike Month and Scottsdale is celebrating its continued recognition as a Gold-Level Bicycle Friendly Community,” said Mark Melnychenko, Scottsdale’s transportation and streets director, in a prepared statement. “The annual Cycle the Arts event showcases the city’s extensive on-street and multiuse path bicycle network.”
Kati Ballares, director of Scottsdale Public Art, echoed a similar sentiment.
“Scottsdale Public Art is delighted to partner again with the city of Scottsdale to highlight public art throughout the city. The 13 projects featured on this year’s route are some of the most iconic in the city,” she said. “We hope attendees will be inspired by visiting this sampling of the collection and will go on to seek out public art wherever they are in town. With over 160 pieces of public art in the collection, one is certain to encounter public art nearly every day in Scottsdale.”
An interactive map of this year’s Cycle the Arts route will be available online in May. The map includes links to artwork featured along the route; additional information about the city’s public art collection is available by downloading the Hoverlay App, or by visiting the Scottsdale Public Art information page.
Scottsdale has been recognized as a Gold-Level Bicycle Friendly community by the League of American Bicyclists since 2011.
Scottsdale has an extensive network of bicycle amenities, including 123 miles of paved shared-use paths, 156 miles of unpaved trails and 192 miles of on-street bike lanes.
