Art and motorcycles mix it up in new show

Motorcycles portrayed in dozens of art media ranging from oil paints, photography and ceramics to wood carvings, film and chocolate are featured in Vroom Vroom - More Than Meets the Ear, a special gallery show opening at the Ice House in Berkeley Springs on Friday, June 1. The 7:30 p.m. artists' reception hosted by Nature Niche is the second stop on an Artwalk that begins at 5 p.m. at Mountain Laurel Craft Gallery. The show hangs at the Ice House through July 1.

Mountain Laurel's contribution to the Artwalk is a customer appreciation reception with sales throughout the shop and several featured motorcycle sculptures from Yardbirds. Located on the main square in Berkeley Springs, Mountain Laurel is ranked among the country's best galleries of American crafts.

Curator Claudia Rauch brings together the arts and motorcycle community and has arranged for celebrity bikes that are art to be on display every weekend of the show as well as organizing two weekends of special guided rides and parades. "We'll be featuring the 84 Lumber bike, the Fear Factor bike and a USO bike signed by Jay Leno on the opening weekend," said Rauch. The USO bike was painted by Martinsburg artist Sheila Mace with replicas of photographs and airplanes used as a timeline of the organization. Mace will be present on Saturday at the Ice House show.

Another special feature of Vroom Vroom is showings at 2 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday of the Academy Award-winning short film My Mother Dreams the Satan's Disciples in New York by Barbara Shock. "In spite of the scary title, it's really a mother/daughter/biker comedy," said Rauch. The film is also being shown during the opening reception.

A lady biker, Rauch planned active riding events for motorcyclists during the show and recruited Ridersville Cycle as a new partner for art activities.

The biker-friendly schedule on Saturday, June 2 includes a late afternoon motorcycle parade led by Mickie Sienko who sports a bright yellow

Buell among her collection of more than a dozen bikes.

The parade leaves Ridersville Cycle at 3:45pm and goes into town where riders are encouraged to park, ogle each other's motorcycles, then hear the free music in Berkeley Springs State Park from 4 to 7 p.m. including a performance by the local band Flash.



There is also a three-hour, three-state guided "mystery-ride"     on Saturday that leaves from Ridersville Cycle at 10 a.m. Maps are available there, at the Visitors Center in town and online for seven self-guided rides. Vroom Vroom is launching a new initiative by Travel Berkeley Springs advertising Berkeley Springs as a motorcycle destination. A second day of biker activities is planned for June 23.

The curated gallery exhibit produced by the Morgan Arts Council is funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, the



West Virginia Commission on the Arts and hotel/motel tax revenues. The Ice House is located on the corner of Independence and Mercer. The gallery is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. For more information and a full schedule of Vroom Vroom activities call 258-2300.