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Main Street bike rack design competition begins
$750 price for two designs that help creative placemaking
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Can bike racks be art?

The Platteville Main Street Sustainability Committee is hosting an artistic bike rack design competition.

This competition aims to increase creative placemaking efforts in the Platteville Main Street District.

According to the National Endowment for the Arts, creative placemaking “animates public and private spaces, rejuvenates structures and streetscapes, improves local business viability and public safety, and brings diverse people together to celebrate, inspire, and be inspired.”

“Looking at all aspects of our community in creative ways, including functional items such as bike racks, impacts the aesthetics as well as the vibrancy and economic development of Platteville,” said Heidi Dyas-McBeth, owner of Driftless Market on Main Street and member of the Platteville Main Street Sustainable Committee.

The bike racks will add an additional flair to the Main Street district while increasing available bike parking on Main Street, helping to achieve goals developed in the 2010 Platteville Downtown Revitalization Plan.

“This bike competition is a wonderful asset for Platteville,” said Tim Ingram, owner of Momentum Bikes on Main Street. “We get to provide a fun creative event that allows us to offer something to improve the livelihood of the downtown area while adding some art to Main Street.”

The artistic bike racks will be located at highly visible areas on Main Street. Two designs will be selected and awarded $750 each ($500 prize and $250 for materials and bike rack fabrication).

Awarded proposals will be responsible for the fabrication of the final product.  Proposals are due Jan. 30.

This competition is funded by a grant from the Platteville Community Fund. For more information about this competition, see www.plattevillemainstreet.com, email plattevillebikecontest@gmail.com, or call Amy, 778-0873.