The Bay Lights First Anniversary Bike Ride

Photo by Edward

It is the the one-year anniversary of The Bay Lights! In celebration, San Francisco Bike Party, Illuminate the Arts, Black Rock Arts Foundation and The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition are teaming up with the Bay Lights artists to bring you an extraordinary evening ride on Friday, March 7.

The event will kick off at 7:30PM at the Bow & Arrow on the Embarcadero with the Bay Lights visionary, Ben Davis, followed by special tributes to the artist, Leo Villareal, and the brilliant community that made our lights possible. At 8PM, the talented SF Bike Party volunteers will lead the group on a fun and safe ride through the city with stops for dancing and socializing along the way. If there’s ever a time to light up your bike, this is it!

On March 5th, 2013, The Bay Lights transformed the Bay Bridge into a stunning San Francisco monument. Created by internationally renowned artist Leo Villareal with over 25,000 LEDS and never-repeating computer driven imagery, it is the world’s largest contemporary-art LED light sculpture and is slated to shine from dusk to dawn for two years. Leo Villareal is known for his light sculptures and architectural site-specific works, and his art is part of permanent collections of major museums worldwide. His complex, dazzling sculptures combine encoded programming and the most intangible of media: light. Ben Davis was inspired by Leo’s art and is the catalyst of the project. Amy Crichett is the executive producer of The Bay Lights; she is an eminently creative producer with previous leadership in various culturally significant projects.

Illuminate the Arts’ mission is “to produce and promote innovative contemporary art with civic impact, social activation and global reach to stimulate a culture of generosity, community, collaboration and love worldwide.” With this flagship project, ITA has illuminated the San Francisco Bay Area, increased civic pride and garnered local, regional, national and international praise, all of which focuses renewed attention on the widespread artistic contributions and technology innovations of the Bay Area.

Pedal along the Embarcadero for a front row seat to the Bay Lights. Image by jurvetson

First Anniversary Ride Community Partners

The SF Bike Party (SFBP) will lead a fun group bicycle ride along the Waterfront that will include Party Stops at viewpoints of The Bay Lights. SFBP puts on a monthly celebration of biking, each ride with a different theme and a new route planned for anyone and everyone to join. SFBP is coordinated by bike enthusiasts and volunteers who pre-plan the routes and help participants ride safely.

The Black Rock Arts Foundation (BRFA) is one of the cultural alliance partners of The Bay Lights. BRFA was formed by several of the partners who founded Burning Man, and was established with the mission “to bring modality of creating and coexisting with art to the rest of the world with the vision that community-driven, inclusive and interactive art is vital to a thriving culture.” The foundation gives grants to communities in the Bay Area and around the world to empower individuals and communities through public art projects.

For over 40 years, the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition has been transforming San Francisco streets and neighborhoods into more livable and safe places by promoting the bicycle for everyday transportation. One example is the Embarcadero, which has unparalleled views of the San Francisco Bay and is a treasure for locals and visitors alike. Also, the Promenade is a prime route to the Ferry Building, AT&T Park, Fisherman’s Wharf and people’s workplaces and homes – but it is often over-crowded. The SF Bicycle Coalition’s vision is to upgrade the current on-street bike lanes on the Embarcadero to a two-way protected bikeway, giving you more space to get to work, to go to the Farmer’s Market or to soak up the views on your bike.

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