Meet the BE-SPOKE Bike Rack Artists

Six artists have been chosen for the BE-SPOKE project to produce and install six art-designed bike racks around the City of Newburgh. 

Their designs reflect project goals to: 

• Beautify the city and reflect its creativity

• Reflect specific stories and aspects of city culture and what makes it unique 

• Encourage environmentally conscious transportation and promote a bike-friendly community by providing functional and visually compelling bike racks

• Promote Newburgh’s image as a creative, art-friendly destination 

• Bring new artistic energy and life to the public realm

The bike racks will now be fabricated, with installation planned for 2024.

Nikah Benne, Yorktown Heights 

Artist living and working in Yorktown Heights, Nikah is known for her abstract and unique art that symbolizes the beauty of the African Diaspora. 

Dennis RedMoon Darkeem, Bronx

Artist, Educator, Community and Cultural Practitioner, Dennis’s work is inspired by creating community, and reflecting on history, environment, and human connections. 

Erica Hauser, Beacon

Artist whose work includes painting, collage, and sculpture. Her colorful paintings have been featured in Saatchi Art and West Elm; recent shows include Terrain Biennial Newburgh, Robin Rice Gallery NYC, and Artport Kingston.

Glenn Jufer, Newburgh

Designer/artist living in Newburgh, NY. He received his MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art in 3D Design, and his BFA from SUNY Purchase in Sculpture/Furniture Design. Finding simple, elegant solutions to complicated design problems is at the core of his practice. 

Yvonne Rojas-Cowan, Saugerties

Contemporary painter with Chicago roots, now living and working in the beautiful Catskills region of upstate NY and, when not painting, you can find her capturing inspiration through her camera lens, cooking for friends, or in the garden.

Judy Thomas, Newburgh

Multidisciplinary artist based in Newburgh, her ongoing Tendrils series, uses non-traditional materials like Pex and dyed Lycra to create curvilinear sculptural installations that suggest ribbons or musical notes and evoke a sense of whimsy and wonder. 

Bike Rack Sites Selected

ABOUT THE PROJECT

• The Artist-Designed Bike Rack Project is a public art project to create 6 artist-designed sculptural bike racks sited around the City of Newburgh.

• The project will bring public art into a variety of areas of the City, while promoting environmental protection, sustainable transportation, physical fitness, and activation of vacant City-owned sites.

• This project is funded by the Newburgh Arts + Cultural Commission (NACC) and by grants secured by NYS Senator James Skoufis from the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) and the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY).

• NACC is working in partnership with the City of Newburgh and the Orange County Arts Council to manage and execute this project.

• NACC has sought input from the Newburgh Transportation Advisory Committee, Critical Mass Newburgh, and community members. We continue to welcome input from the community throughout each phase of this project.