Presented at the Cincinnati Art Museum April 4–August 24, 2025

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CINCINNATI — JANUARY 8, 2025 — Gear up for a thrilling ride through history, design and culture during the Cincinnati Art Museum’s (CAM’s) upcoming exhibition Cycle Thru! The Art of the Bike on view April 4–August 24, 2025. The exhibition, which originated at The Church, Sag Harbor, New York, and is presented in partnership with The Bicycle Museum of America, New Bremen, Ohio, showcases bicycles spanning the 1860s to today, illustrating the design innovations—both functional and aesthetic—marking the vehicle’s development.

Highlights include more than 20 bicycles, including Pee-Wee Herman’s customized 1953 Schwinn DX Cruiser that starred in Tim Burton’s 1985 film, Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure, a rare cast iron “Boneshaker” velocipede manufactured in the mid-1800s, a 1901 Wolff-American Ice Bicycle engineered to traverse a frozen course and a seafoam green 1950s Huffy Radiobike designed so riders could cruise to their tunes of choice.

Visitors can ponder the role of the bicycle as an evolving icon, a connector of cultures and a vehicle for autonomy and freedom to all, regardless of age, gender, and geography.

Accompanying the bicycles will be contemporary art by Jarbas Lopes, Bas Jan Ader, and Bari Kumar as well as selections from CAM’s collections of photographs by Christine Osinski, Aaron Siskind, and Ralph Steiner; women’s cycling wear from the 1900s; vintage circus posters; and prints by Jean Dubuffet, Oda Mayumi and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.

Cycle Thru! invites visitors to engage with the bicycle beyond its utilitarian function. It serves as an emblem of autonomy and freedom for individuals across diverse backgrounds and demographics. “The continued power of the bicycle as a vehicle for change and artistic inspiration comes to life in this multi-media presentation,” says Amy Dehan, Cincinnati Art Museum Curator of Decorative Arts & Design. “In partnership with Ohio’s Bicycle Museum of America, we bring you nostalgia, progress, and delight! Your soul will ‘pop a wheely!’”

Cycle Thru! The Art of the Bike originated at The Church, Sag Harbor, New York, as Re:Cycle—The Ubiquitous Bike, October 8–December 31, 2023, and is organized in partnership with The Bicycle Museum of America, New Bremen, Ohio.

The exhibition will be on view in the museum’s Thomas R. Schiff Gallery (234 and 235). Tickets are $12, with discounted rates for students, children, and seniors. Save $2 when purchasing tickets online. Admission is free for museum members. The exhibition will be free for members and nonmembers every Thursday evening from 5–8 p.m.; Friday, April 26, May 30, June 27 and July 25 from 5–9 p.m. during Art After Dark; Saturday April 5 during CAM Kids Day; and Tuesday, April 8 and 15. Photography is permitted, but no flash. On social media, use the hashtag #CycleThruCAM. 

Upcoming, related events to be announced. Visit cincinnatiartmuseum.org for the latest information.

About the Cincinnati Art Museum

The Cincinnati Art Museum features a diverse, encyclopedic art collection of more than 73,000 works spanning 6,000 years. In addition to displaying its own broad collection, the museum conducts extensive research and creates and organizes several exhibitions each year. It also hosts national and international traveling exhibitions. Through these critical projects and art-related programs, activities, and special events, the museum contributes to a more vibrant Cincinnati by inspiring its people and connecting its communities.

The Cincinnati Art Museum is supported by the generosity of individuals and businesses that give annually to ArtsWave. The Ohio Arts Council helps fund the Cincinnati Art Museum with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence, and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans. The Cincinnati Art Museum gratefully acknowledges operating support from the City of Cincinnati, as well as its members. Free general admission to the Cincinnati Art Museum is made possible by a gift from the Rosenthal Family Foundation. Exhibition pricing may vary. Generous support for the museum’s extended Thursday hours is provided by Art Bridges Foundation’s Access for All program. Parking at the Cincinnati Art Museum is free. More information is available at cincinnatiartmuseum.org.

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