Candace Wilson, a student at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, stands with her design for a custom bike rack to be installed on the campus
The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale teamed up with The Park and Facilities Catalog to create a custom bike rack to be permanently installed on their campus.
"We were very excited to work with The Park Catalog on this project," said Jeff LaLiberte, Director of Campus Relations at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale. "We certainly believe in the benefits of bicycling as an alternative means of transportation to help the environment, reduce congestion in cities and promote a healthy lifestyle."
Chris Luyet, VP of Marketing and Business Development said, "We knew that with the help of these talented students we could build an artistic bike rack that attracts attention and inspires people to bicycle more and drive less."
Towns, schools, stores and offices can use commercial bike racks with a custom logo or message promote their brand to bicyclists
The idea behind the project was to highlight the Art Institute's commitment to sustainability and to encourage bicycling as a mode of transportation. There are also tremendous health benefits associated with bicycling and the Art Institute wants to provide bicycling parking racks for those students who can bicycle to class rather than drive.
The design of the artwork was arranged by The Artemis Design Group under the direction of Paul Kane, professor of graphic design and advertising. This group is part of the Honors Program at the Art Institute which offers students a chance to participate in real-world work experiences.
Candace Wilson, who is studying a for a bachelor's degree in graphic design and marketing, submitted the creative design that was chosen. Her creation included the Art Institute logo and several artistic elements, including the words: "Let's Bike."
"I wanted to create a message so that when people looked at it, there was an action behind it," she said.
Custom artistic bicycle racks are becoming more popular across the US as municipalities and schools see the opportunity to create "sidewalk art" while promoting alternative transportation and meeting the needs of a growing number of cyclists, Luyet said.
About the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale
The Art Institute is part of a system of more than 50 schools across North America. The Art Institutes provide a hands-on education in the creative and applied arts by offering master's, bachelor's and associate's degree programs as well as non-degree programs. For employers, the schools provide a source of culinary, design, fashion and media arts professionals
About Park and Facilities Catalog Bike Racks
The Park and Facilities Catalog is headquartered in Boca Raton, Fla. In business since 2001, the company is a national manufacturer and provider of commercial bike racks. The product line includes custom bike racks, wave bike racks, U-shaped bike racks, grid bike racks, architectural bicycle parking racks, double-decker bike racks, wall-mounted bike racks, low-profile bike racks, bike lockers and bike storage. The company also offers design assistance for bike rooms and bicycle parking.
Since 2001, The Park Catalog has supplied quality bicycle parking racks to parks, schools, universities, restaurants, stores, malls, shopping centers, multi-family communities, etc. The company is also a distributor of additional site furnishings such as park benches, picnic tables, trash receptacles, aluminum bleachers and hundreds of other items.