by Keith Edwards

NorthWest Arkansas Community College Art Club collaborated with People For Bikes on April 15 to ride from the Shewmaker Center for Workforce Technologies, located on the main NWACC campus in southeast Bentonville, to Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, which is located in north-central Bentonville, about one mile north of 21c Museum Hotel, a 2.6-mile ride one way.

John Paul Shaffer, northwest Arkansas business innovation director for PeopleForBikes, and Melisa Jennings, bike guide, led the group of ten that included students, faculty, and staff.

“The purpose of this event was to create a fun activity with the Art Club that reinforces community partnership (with Crystal Bridges and People For Bikes) to promote the arts and bike accessibility, which is a huge part of our NWA community,” said Mary Tidy-Coyle, full-time art faculty, Art Club advisor, and ride participant.

PeopleForBikes loaned bikes and helmets to those needed them. Shaffer said he leads PeopleForBikes’ work in northwest Arkansas to get more people commuting by bike through workplace- based programming and incentives. He said PeopleForBikes’s mission includes getting more people to ride bikes more often. Since 1999, PeopleForBikes has created a prominent place for bikes in transportation, mobility, and recreational decisions at all levels of government, according to peopleforbikes.org.

“I find joy in helping community leaders make their bold visions a reality,” Shaffer said.

Once in the museum, the group was entertained and educated in the Contemporary and Modern Art wings by Kaye Collier, museum educator. Collier explained many of the sculptures and paintings by various artists such as Mark Rothko and Helen Frankenthaler.

Tidy-Coyle said, “I loved partnering with JP; Allan [Benson, NWACC director of Student Life]; and the art educators at Crystal Bridges. We had a beautiful ride and an informative and fun tour of the modern and contemporary exhibitions at Crystal Bridges – the Art Club is hoping to do this again soon!”

Art Club members Stephanie Lafayette, Tracy Lindstrom, and Randall Edwards, graphic design majors, and Chloe Chappelear, art major, participated in the guided ride and tour.

“It was nice to partner with Melissa and JP for the day. They were sweet providing bikes for riders, as well as getting us refreshments at the Cafe at the museum! Just an all-around fun time with like-minded people!” said Lafayette.

Find more information on PeopleForBikes at peopleforbikes.org and for NWACC Art Club, on Instagram at nwacc_artclub.

From left to right, Allan Benson, Chloe Chappelear, Randall Edwards, Mary Tidy-Coyle, Matt Meers, Nanette Meers, and Elizabeth Chappelear listen to Kaye Collier, Crystral Bridges Educational Tour Guide.

Art Club biking toward Crystal Bridges. Photo by Keith Edwards.