Ivar Zeile

Spokes was inspired by the annual USA Pro Challenge Bike Art Project I curated and managed for a number of years, under the guidance and friendship of Steve Sander, a city icon who inspired many and tragically passed in 2023. The idea behind Spokes was to go a step further and celebrate Colorado’s distinct position in bike culture in the US by supporting a major artistic commission that would be temporarily installed outside the McNichols Civic Center Building in Denver. The project required convincing a sponsor to provide funding at a level commensurate with the chosen concept from a call for entries active within the arts community, something that Steve approached with his strong will and terrific disposition. All entries would also be presented within an exhibition inside McNichols in their ground level space, along with a curated reel of video artworks that reference cycling. The resulting entries were impressive and offered a lot of great options to consider. The final commission went to White Rhino Cycles, an impressive large-scale sculpture titled “Elevate.” The sculpture was so successful that it resided at McNichols for approximately 3 years, before finding the perfect permanent home at 3500 Rockmont Dr., at the apex of the Westend residence complex and Cuernavaca Park.