The latest exhibits at the Estevan Art Gallery and Museum (EAGM) offer a look at travel, momentum and energy with two wheels.
A reception was held at the EAGM on May 11 for the three newest exhibitions at the building: Pushing Pedals: Cycling on the Prairies in Gallery No. 1, Iron Works by Ray Lodoen in Gallery No. 2 and Nostalgiatype by Nicole Lynn in the project space.
EAGM associate curator David Dyck, who is a bicycle enthusiast and former competitive cyclist, curated Pushing Pedals exhibit. It came together after another cycling-themed exhibit that was slated for Gallery No. 1 didn’t materialize.
Pushing Pedals includes 10 bicycles that range from the 1920s to the early 2000s. Cyclists and bicycle collectors from across the province contributed bicycles to the exhibit.
“A lot of the people that I know, that I met growing up, and even working in bike shops with, provided a lot of the connections that I was able to call on to make the show happen,” said Dyck.
A write-up accompanies each bicycle submission. There is also some cycling memorabilia on display.
A couple of the contributors are local. The Souris Valley Museum supplied a 1950s Sunshine Waterloo children’s bicycle, which Dyck noted had strong farming connections, since it was built by an agricultural company.
“It’s obvious this bike has gone through decades and decades of use, and probably generations of kids beating on it, and aside from the patina, it looks unscathed,” he said. “It’s built like a tank.”
Joe Lingelbach from JL’s Bike and Skate contributed a gold BMX from the 1980s.
“Growing up in Estevan, I got to know Joe. I was in his shop bugging him to fix this, or to find this part for the bike that I had at the time. I was asking him all these questions that were maybe annoying for him at the time, but really helped me learn how to look after a bike.”
In the case of the BMX bicycle, Dyck noted a child just had to have it because he saw that type of bike in the movie E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.
“It got passed down through three generations and touched the lives of three generations,” said Dyck.
Dyck believes the Prairies are an unlikely place for great cycling, due to the terrain and the winds. Some bicyclists, motorcyclists and travellers view the Prairies as dull.
“It’s not necessarily a place that people think of to come to ride a bike, but so much of the stories that are in this room would say otherwise,” said Dyck. “Cycling has a really big family aspect to it.”
As for his competitive cycling, it required a lot of discipline to train for the competitions. People from around the area would gather to compete.
“It’s a really joyful thing that involves clubs and community, and people with a passion for the same thing getting together,” he said. “And I think it’s reflected in this room.”
Dyck got into competitive cycling because he loved to ride his bike. He was part of the southeast entry for cycling at the 1996 Saskatchewan Summer Games in Moose Jaw.
And while he sustained injuries while competing and training, cycling has made a positive impact on his life.
“You know that saying, ‘You never forget how to ride a bike?’ I’m still not sure I’ve fully learned,” he said, laughing.
Lodoen helped out with the Pushing Pedals exhibit, as he assisted with the installation and supplied the vinyl.
For more information on Lodoen and Lynn’s exhibits, please see this week’s edition of Southeast Lifestyles.
