Seventh graders Rollie Goodman, Angie Weaver and Simona Rackauskas (from left in background) , from Headwaters Academy, practice their drawing skills during the MSU School of Art's Art Infusion. The annual arts festival, this year with the theme 'Bike Madness,' is on display today on Centennial Mall. MSU photo by Erin Raley.

Bicycles of the most whimsical and artistic kind are on display today on MSU's Centennial Mall during "Bike Madness!," the School of Art's Art Fest held today, Thursday, Oct. 14.

This is the first year that the popular campus event, which relies on MSU departments, individuals and members of the community to decorate an object in a creative way and display on the Centennial Mall, has been held in the fall rather than the spring. The School of Art supplied a limited number of bicycles for decoration. Other bike decorators supplied their own bike or form. Organizer Ben Meyer said that the final design must appear like a bike, but functionality was optional.

The New Belgium Brewery and the Northern Rockies Bioneers Conference donated prizes for the best bike decorations.

Following the Art Infusion display, all bicycles will be ridden or delivered to the Emerson Cultural Center to decorate the building and main stage for the Northern Rockies Bioneers Conference.

For more info on Northern Rockies Bioneers Conference, go to the Bioneer Web page.

Written by Carol Schmidt and posted 10/14/04/