Today I present you with a puzzle of sorts. What the heck is it?? And what do these things have in common? And why is it a good excuse to visit Tucson, Arizona? (BTW, this post was inspired by a post by fellow travel blogger, Jeanine Barone of J The Travel Authority. See her post on Denmark here.)
Prickly Pear Cactus, but what's it made of?
A Face, of course, but made of what?
A Flower, and no, those are not electric sockets
One of the Artists
A close up view of the artists's Whatsit
AT LONG LAST A CLUE. HERE IS THE ENTRANCE TO THE FACILITY:
Entrance to BICAS, Tucson, Arizona
Have you figured out what this is all about yet? Go ahead and discuss in the comment section, and I’ll come back there with more information. (And by the way, if you had clicked on that link to J, The Travel Authority in the first paragraph, you’d be WAY ahead!!)
This is my (almost) weekly contribution to Travel Photo Thursday. You can see more puzzling, beautiful, exotic and ordinary photos by going to the mother ship--Budget Travelers Sandbox.
All photos here are my property–that means copyrighted–so please don’t use without permission. Unless you’re from BICAS, in which case you can do anything you want with anything you want.
Vote for my article on WorldTravelist.com, sharing the best travel content on the web.
About the Author:
A freelance writer who loves to travel. When she is not traveling she is reading about travel. When she is not reading or traveling, she is sharing with the readers of A Traveler's Library, Reel Life With Jane and other websites. Also co-author of a biography, Quincy Tahoma, The Life and Legacy of a Navajo Artist. Contact Vera Marie by e-mail.
Vera Marie Badertscher – who has written 680 posts on A Traveler's Library.
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Tags: Arizona, art, BICAS, BlogSherpa, photography, Travel Photo Thursday, Tucson, USA
Love this! Before I read any of the comments I was thinking something to do with wheels frames. Bicycle parts makes perfect sense. What a fun place to visit.
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Nancie would like you to read..Travel Photo Thursday — March 22, 2011 — Favorite Travel Shots of 2011
Nice and cool kind of art..I love it!I want to visit this place to see if how they doing this recycle bike..
These are cool art and a great way to recycle bicycle parts. Looks like a very interesting place to visit. The Face looks very robotic.
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Mary would like you to read..Spring at the Los Angeles Arboretum
I love creative art like this and would definitely visit BICAS in Tucson. Love the use of the bike pedals for the flower. By the way, I was inspired by you for my TPT contribution today.
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Cathy Sweeney would like you to read..From the Inside Looking Out
What beautifully repurposed bicycle parts! I really like all the colors in your photos. BICAS sounds like an interesting organization.
Andi would like you to read..An Inadvertent Holiday in Victoria B.C., Canada
Seems the mystery has already been solved. Yes, I do think those are bike parts. But is it art?
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Michael would like you to read..Hiking A Man Made Mountain
Bike parts! I don’t recall seeing this place, but I haven’t been in Tucson for several years so perhaps it’s new since my last visit.
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Dick Jordan would like you to read..Travel Photo Thursday: Who Stole My Sunshine?
Dick: Not surprised you didn’t see it. BICAS is definitely not on the regular tourist routes. It is in what is known as the Warehouse District on the northwest corner of downtown, and BICAS entrance is in the back of a building. When I took these photos for an article I was writing several years ago, the warehouse was threatened with destruction, but it is still there. It used to be beside the railroad tracks and they showed me the still functional elevator that was used to lift goods up from their subterranean location to the track for loading. The Warehouses were bought by the state for a freeway that didn’t happen. The state continues to rent them to artists.
What a creative way to reuse old bicycle parts. Ingenious! Thanks for sharing, Vera.
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InsideJourneys would like you to read..Hiking Jamaica’s Blue Mountain
These look very cool! It’s amazing how an artist can take one thing and make it look like something completetly different and sometimes even really beautiful.
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Sabrina would like you to read..Things to do in Rouen France on a Sunday Morning
Bicycle part sculptures are lovely. Unfortunately, my previous three bikes have been stolen so my supply of materials is seriously lacking.
Bob R would like you to read..30 Minutes in Istanbul’s Spice Market
Oh, that is a sad story Bob. Welcome to A Traveler’s Library.
I’ve actually heard of Bikas. Some of these bike sculptures are strangely beautiful!
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Sophie would like you to read..Devil’s Bridge
Is the BIKAS you’ve heard of the same as the BICAS in Tucson? I promised to talk more about it,so here’s a bit. The main purpose of BICAS is to train people to repair their own bikes and to recycle (as it were) used bikes. People who want to buy a bike, can pay for it in labor at the shop. (more later about the art work)
that’s a great idea. good to know they are contributing to the community in that way as well as through their art.
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Kerry Dexter would like you to read..Is New York the cultural capital of North America?
Okay, time to talk a little more about BICAS.
You can learn more and see more art at BICAS website ( I did not post the link in the article, because it is a total giveaway of the guessing game.)
I first noticed the jewelry (!) some artists make of bike parts for sale at the 4th Avenue Street Fair. That’s a big festival/street fair that happens twice a year on a street near the University of Arizona.
A few years later I was assigned an article about BICAS and learned that the jewelry and art is sold not only at 4th Avenue Street fair, but also in their yearly spring fund raiser. All money raised goes back into keeping the enterprise running. Anyone who wants to can come to BICAS and use the spare parts to create art.
Like Andy Warhol’s soup can paintings, this art makes you look twice at ordinary things around you.
bicycle parts! what an interesting place to get creative inspiration. I’d already read Jeanine Barone’s article as I am a regular reader of J the Travel Authorty, but your photos put bicycles in a whole new light.
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Kerry Dexter would like you to read..Is New York the cultural capital of North America?