Artistic Bike Rack Submission Deadline is Today

As members of the Waukesha Bike Alliance are looking to build several artistic bike racks in the downtown Waukesha area, the group already has received “a handful of submissions,” according to alliance member Sonia Dubielzig.

The submission deadline is today, Aug. 31.

The Waukesha Bike Alliance is seeking at least five sculptural bike rack designs from Waukesha area artists.

The bike alliance has identified several possible locations where the bike racks could be located in downtown Waukesha. The group members have also appeared before various committee's at to share about their vision. 

“The WBA will then take the winning designs to local welders and metal shops to determine the cost of engineering, fabrication and finish of the selected designs,” she said in the e-mail.

For more about the artistic bike racks:

• Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Nov. 2, 2010, article Alliance Seeks Artistic Bike Racks.
• Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Feb. 7, 201, article Arty Bike Racks Endorsed in Waukesha.
• Waukesha Bike Alliance Website

The following RFP was submitted by the Waukesha Bike Alliance and also appears on its website.

Call for Artists/Designers/Welders--Requests for Proposals for Sculptural Bike Racks for Central Waukesha

DEADLINE: August 31, 2011

The Waukesha Bicycle Alliance is seeking proposals from artists or welders for sculptural bike rack designs for downtown Waukesha. 

Art has been at the heart of downtown Waukesha's transformation and rejuvenation.  The city now has many galleries, a thriving artist community, and has over 10 works of outdoor public art throughout the downtown.  The lively art scene, shops and restaurants, and pedestrian-friendly environment makes downtown Waukesha a great bicycling destination.  The WBA wants to encourage more people to come to downtown on their bikes.  In fact, many of the challenges that the downtown faces (vehicle circulation, parking, and pedestrian/car conflicts) could be solved if more people rode their bikes.  There is one problem: the downtown lacks adequate bicycle parking.

Project Purpose
The WBA is seeking at least five sculptural bike racks designs by artists from the Waukesha area.  The WBA hopes to select the five winning designs from all the designs submitted.  The WBA will then take the winning designs to local welders and metal shops to determine the cost of engineering, fabrication, and finish of the selected designs. 

By having the complete cost of engineering, fabricating, and finishing the selected designs, the WBA can then set fundraising goals and contact various agencies and organizations that have expressed interest in funding the racks.

The WBA hopes that one result of this project will be the more public support for additional artistic bike racks, and more public support for establishing an artistic bike rack "fund" to help subsidize the costs for businesses that want to create their own design for an artistic bike rack outside their business.  Our previous efforts at securing funds for an artistic bike rack have fumbled, partly because we do not have solid cost estimates for the fabrication of the rack designs.

Bike Rack Design Requirements:

Due to the limited street space for racks in the downtown area, the artistic racks need to fit in a narrow space and accommodate at least 2 bikes parallel to each other.  Specifically, racks should meet the following specifications:

• Width (depth) should not exceed 8”
• Length should be at least 18” but not more than 7’
• Height should be at least 3’ but not more than 7’

The rack should:

• Support the frame of the bicycle in two places, including bicycles without a diamond-shaped frame with a horizontal top tube (a step-thru frame such as traditional women’s bikes have)
• Allow for the bicycle frame and at least one wheel to be secured to the rack when both wheels are left on the bike
• Be strong enough to resist damage by the small bobcat-style front loaders that plow snow downtown.
• Not have any sharp points that could hurt children or inattentive pedestrians.
• Be constructed of durable, low maintenance materials
• The bike rack should be designed to be mounted with surface mounts in concrete
• More information about good rack design, and surface mounting into concrete, is available on the WBA specifications webpage.

Payment of Artist Fees
Artists who submit one of the 5 winning WBA chosen bike rack concepts will be awarded a $50 stipend for their submittal.  All designs become property of the WBA.  The WBA reserves the right to publish all designs submitted on the website www.bikewaukesha.org.  

Guidelines for Submissions

Design proposals must be submitted electronically in PDF format by August 31, 2011.

• Each entry should consist of two 8.5 x 11 pages: The first page should have a drawing of the proposed design, along with the artist's contact information (name, email, phone, snail mail address, and webpage).  The second page should include a list of materials and fabrication method and any other information the artist wishes to convey. If you are an artist or welder with the desire and ability to fabricate your own rack design, please let us know in your submission, by providing an estimate of what you would charge to create the final product.  This would help us greatly!
• Limit 2 entries per artist

Submissions may be mailed or e-mailed to:

Sonia Dubielzig, Waukesha Bicycle Alliance,  bikewaukesha@gmail.com

Selection Process
A jury consisting of members of the WBA, some downtown business owners, and artists will review the design proposals.

Notification and Timeline
Submissions are due by August 31, 2011

Selected artist/designer/welders will be notified by September 17.

Sources for Additional Information

The WBA's sculptural bike racks webpage contains photos and more information.  You can also contact Sonia Dubielzig at 262-271-6721 or e-mail bikewaukesha@gmail.com