Minneapolis Institute of Art Celebrates 100th Anniversary with Bikes

photo credits @ Handsome Bikes & MIA

To celebrate its 100th anniversary last month, the Minneapolis Institute of Arts (MIA) teamed up with Handsome Cycles to bring some of the MIA’s most famous masterpieces to life with three art-inspired bikes.

According to MIA Venture Innovation Director Hunter Wright, “The MIA is excited to partner with Handsome Cycles, a company that shares the museum’s commitment to embracing the local and integrating great design, technology, and experimentation, while staying true to its core values and community. “

In order to create custom bike designs inspired by pieces in the MIA’s permanent collection, such as paintings by Claude Monet and Frank Stella, and a 1948 Tatra T87 sedan, Handsome collaborated with few other notable artisan frames builders in Minneapolis – KNOCK, inc., TREAT AND COMPANY, Peacock Groove, and Dirt Designs Graphic – to assist with the project . 

“Artists are problem solvers. They bring new solutions to problems of surface, color, and design.”

The Minneapolis Institute of Arts approached Handsome Cycles with the opportunity to create three custom bicycles inspired by masterpieces of their collection, bringing the works of art into a modern context. The project brought together some of the Twin Cities’ most notable designers and artisans: KNOCK, TREAT AND COMPANY, Peacock Groove, and Dirt Designs Graphic. The result is three stunning, fully functional bicycles that challenge what a bike can be, and bring new life to some of the MIA’s most famous pieces.