Public Bike Art Competition Outdoor Banners

A bicycle-themed outdoor banner art competition, sponsored by “Bike Friendly Kalamazoo”, was held in Kalamazoo, Michigan the summer of 2020. Winning artists are receiving cash prizes totaling nearly $2,000. The winning designs, along with “Honorable Mentions” and “President’s Awards”, are presented for sale on this website. The competition allowed desktop artists to submit digital entries, The competition allowed desktop artists to submit digital entries, which facilitated online judging. Announcements via social media reached more than 80,000 people and drew entries from more than 20 states across the US.

The second competition was held in September, 2021. The winning designs for both competitions, along with “Honorable Mentions” and “President’s Awards”, are now presented for sale on this website. The competition allowed desktop artists to submit digital entries, which facilitated online judging. Announcements via social media reached more than 80,000 people and drew entries from more than 20 states across the US.

Patrick Jouppi, Chair of the Kalamazoo County Public Art Commission, chaired the jury committee. The top three winners of the first competition were announced in a public ceremony on September 20, 2020 on the grounds of the Vicksburg Historic Village in the Village of Vicksburg, MI. The presentation culminated BFK’s Fall Bike Celebration Weekend.

“This year’s Public Bike Art Competition offered an exciting bright spot on the graphic arts horizon. Where other art competitions had to cancel or postpone, BFK’s Public Bike Art Competition moved forward due to its digital format,” observed Jouppi.

“We were blown away by all the great entries, and thank the artists, chair and judges for their wonderful efforts. There were so many worthy entries that we extended the judging and selected three Honorary Mention and two President’s Award winners,” stated Paul Selden, Bike Friendly Kalamazoo’s president.

Bike Friendly Kalamazoo (BFK) is a network of volunteers drawn from a variety of community stakeholders throughout greater Kalamazoo Michigan and a 501c3 Michigan nonprofit organization. BFK’s mission is to make the entire community even more bicycle friendly. Its goals align with efforts to make Southwest Michigan even more attractive as a great place to live, work and play and learn. For more information, see www.bikefriendlykalamazoo.org.

Proceeds from the sale of the banners will raise funds for bicycling education, awareness-building and safety. “Consort Display Group is honored to be working with Bike Friendly Kalamazoo for these annual competitions to make a selection of the winning designs available for purchase,” commented Roger Lepley, its president. “As a long-time supporter of Bike Friendly Kalamazoo headquartered in Kalamazoo (MI) we love the idea that public artistic displays can lead to more bicycle friendly communities.”

The following bicycle-oriented designs are now available for purchase celebrating Art, and spreading the joy of biking with communities across the World. The designs are printed two-sided on premium 22 oz vinyl media in 30” x 94” and 30” x 60” sizes, with 4” pole pocket hems top and bottom, suitable for display like our other banners shown on the Kalamazoo Banner Works website. Two brass grommets are included at the “pole side” of each banner, to secure the banner from sliding off a banner bracket. See www.bannerflex.com for utility pole banner hardware.

There is an area shown on each banner, “Imprint Area”, that allows a short custom message or name. There is a one-time $25.00 custom imprint set-up charge per design change (not per banner). If no imprint is requested, that area of the banner will be left blank

2021 Designs