Clever Midtown art crawl/bike tour showcases colorful female rising stars
CultureMap Houston
May 27, 2021, 9:47 am
Magdalena Esparza is one of the highlighted artists. Photo courtesy of Midtown Houston
Artsy and active Houstonians can enjoy some favorable weather and engaging art this weekend. Midtown Houston is showcasing some local female artists via a hybrid art crawl/bike ride at 10:30 am May Saturday, May 29.
The curated event, dubbed the Midtown Art Crawl + Bike Ride, is open to a maximum of 25 riders, who can hop on bikes from bicycle-sharing company Houston BCycle. The biking outfit hosted a first-of-its-kind competition for artists to paint BCycle stations in the area.
Houston artists Magdalena Esparza and Kate Vance were chosen out of 28 submissions by BCycle, Midtown Management District (MMD) Cultural Arts, and MMD Urban Planning committee, per a press release.
Esparza’s art can be viewed at the new station on LaBranch and Alabama; Vance’s inspired refurbishment is at the McGowen and Brazos location.
A little about the artists: Vance's art is described as “bright, vibrant, and colorful with a playful sense of movement.” Meanwhile, artist, Illustrator, and biochemist Esparza relays her art and biochemistry background in her work, “The Art of My Science.”
Following the bike tour, participants can enjoy an outdoor happy hour at beer garden, Axelrad. Riders will be encouraged to mask up when not cycling and hand sanitizer will be available.
“We’ve created this upcoming event fusing an art-style ‘pub’ crawl with a bike ride partly because Midtown Houston is the second most walkable district in Houston and is quickly becoming a hub for bike riders with the addition of dedicated bike lanes along Gray and Austin Streets,” said ByCycle interim executive director, Frank Karbarz, in a statement.
“We also wanted to elevate the two female artists who won our bicycle-themed competition, Magdalena Esparza and Kate Vance, as they have brought Houston BCycle stations to life with gorgeous custom designs to celebrate biking in Midtown.”
For more information on the art crawl/bike event, visit the official website.