Milwaukee Art Museum Presents the Custom Motorcycles of Ron Finch August 28–31
Milwaukee, WI, August 8, 2008—Bikes by a Discovery Channel 2004 Biker Build-Off champion roll into downtown for the Milwaukee Art Museum’s presentation of Finch & Flash on view during Harley-Davidson’s 105th Anniversary Celebration, August 28-31. Featuring the custom motorcycles of Ron Finch coupled with the archival photographs of Detroit biker Jim “Flash” Miteff, the exhibition celebrates the customized motorcycle as an American icon of 1960s counter-culture and a pinnacle of artistic design. Visitors can park their bikes beneath the wings (details below) to see it during extended hours Thursday–Saturday, August 28–30, when the Museum is open 10 a.m.–8 p.m. Good times and good food outside on the Museum grounds round out the weekend.
General admission tickets to see Finch & Flash are $8 adults/$6 seniors/$4 students with I.D., and free for children 12 and under.
Installed among the white arches of the Santiago Calatrava-designed Baumgartner Galleria are 12 of Finch’s chrome masterpieces. Among the featured choppers are two of Finch’s award winners, Odin’s Axel and Double Cross, both finely crafted creations of intricate rod work and metal fabrication. Built from rare parts such as Corvette exhaust covers and hand-built frames, each of the bikes bares unique stylistic touches. The 36 photographs by Jim “Flash” Miteff, also on view, ground the bikes in history, providing a glimpse into the heady American historical moment that gave birth to the chopper. From local bars to the open road, the black-and-white images offer candid shots of the men, women, and motorcycles of The Outlaws MC, a true icon of the 1960s biker revolution in the Midwest.
V.I.P. Bike Parking
Thursday–Sunday, August 28–31
In: 8 a.m.–8 p.m. (Sunday until 5 p.m.)
Out: When you go home
$15/free for members
Park your bike beneath the wings of the Milwaukee Art Museum on Art Museum Drive, just south of the lakeside Harley Roadhouse concert venue. Become a Museum Member at the door, and the parking is on us.
The Custom Motorcycles of Ron Finch is sponsored by Hupy and Abraham, S.C.
About Ron Finch
Ron Finch has been building choppers since 1965, when he opened Finch’s Custom Styled Cycles, and has established himself as one of the premier builders of our time. A fusion of function and whimsy, Finch’s innovative motorcycles are truly “art in motion.” His bikes have been appreciated by art lovers in several museums and art galleries and in shows throughout the United States and Europe.
Café Calatrava by the Lake
Friday–Saturday, August 29–30
11 a.m.–7 p.m.
Get the best grab-and-go grub on the Lake, smack in the middle of the Meier festival grounds and Harley’s Roadhouse in Veteran’s Park. On Saturday, 88Nine Radio Milwaukee floats good music into the fresh air around the Museum.
Finch Sculptures and Miteff Prints on Sale
Finch’s newest experiment, METALife, is a collection of creatures and plants made from used metal and motorcycle scraps. Selections from METALife will be available for purchase at the Milwaukee Art Museum Store during the duration of the exhibition, along with photographs from Jim “Flash” Miteff’s collection of hand-developed prints. The Store moves outside to sell these and other items to benefit the Museum Thursday–Saturday, 11 a.m.–7 p.m., and Sunday til 4 p.m.
About the Milwaukee Art Museum
The Milwaukee Art Museum’s far-reaching holdings include more than 20,000 works spanning antiquity to the present day. With a history dating back to 1888, the Museum houses a Collection with strengths in 19th- and 20th-century American and European art, contemporary art, American decorative arts, and folk and self-taught art. The Museum includes the Santiago Calatrava-designed Quadracci Pavilion, named by Time magazine “Best Design of 2001.”
Media Contact
John Eding
414.224.3246
john.eding@mam.org
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