First ever art exhibition dedicated solely to MTBing to open in Lancashire

The exhibition – claimed to be a world first – is being staged by the folk from Singletrack magazine.

Video footage is being provided by Peter Fagerlin’s MTBBritain and this will be projected on a large screen within Towneley Hall’s new gallery.

Industry art – including whole bikes – will be displayed in glass cases. One bike is expected to be dissected in a parady of Damian Hirst’s formaldehyde-soaked demi-cow.

Jo Burt has been commissioned to produce 70 new artworks. And viewers will be able to ogle his doodles from a section of "authentic winding singletrack" which will run the entire length of the gallery.

‘Singletrack – The Art Of Mountain Biking’ will be the first exhibition in the newly built gallery within the historic Towneley Hall on the fringe of the South Pennine moors, home of the late Lady Mary Towneley MBE, leading light of the South Pennines Packhouse Trust, a group responsible for renovating and protecting many miles of UK bridleways.

Towneley Hall – just 20 minutes pedalling from Singletrack’s HQ – attracted over 100 000 visitors to its galleries last year. Entry to the exhibition will be free. Towneley Hall is owned by Burnley Borough Council and received a Heritage Lottery bid to extend the museum and galleries.

The organisers of the exhibtion are planning a PR campaign aimed at broadsheet newspapers, local press and schools.

Singletrack’s online editor Mark Alker would like more bike trade input:

"The gallery is a big space and more exhibitors from the cycling industry are welcome to put forward their own ideas. A name-in-title sponsorship deal is also available, as is sponsorship of the singletrack sculpture, which will be the most prominent feature within the gallery.

"This will be the world’s first art exhibition dedicated solely to mountain biking. Exhibition space is free, subject to the organiser’s opinion of the artistic merit of any submissions, of course. The standard has already been set very high, but this would be an unprecedented marketing opportunity for many within the bike industry."

Sponsorship:

Julie Dymond – jools@singletrackworld.com

Exhibition:

Dave Anderson – dave@singlespeed.demon.co.uk

Mark Alker – mark@singletrackworld.com

Tel: 0771 8879631

http://www.burnley.gov.uk/towneley/