2022 was an exciting year for BICAS, and we are excited to release our Annual Report!
We thank our friends, our supporters, our volunteers, and all who visit our shop, for your part in all that we were able to achieve last year in our community. We look forwards to continuing our mission of transportation accessibility through the rest of 2023.
Thank you so much Tucson! We appreciate your support of the 25th BICAS Art auction! BICAS hasn’t had one of these events in 2 years due to the pandemic. While most of the staff was new, we managed to pull it off with 500 people coming to the 2 night event and over 100 unique pieces for auction sold in a single night!
Our art auction featured a huge variety of practical and fanciful handmade bicycle-themed art, most of which was created using upcycled bicycle parts. All the art was donated by some of Tucson’s best artists who support the mission of promoting education, art, a healthy environment & making transportation more accessible to our community. We also had live music by Son Jarocho Collective in Arizona and the Hatpin Duo.
This was our biggest fundraising event of the year with all proceeds going toward our various community programs that help people learn how to fix a bicycle, earn a bicycle, create unique art from recycled materials, and provide programs for youth.
Chip Thomas, Colin Holmes, Racheal Rios & Monique Laraway, 2021
Photos from Racheal Rios
Interview with Chip, 2021
I moved to Northern AZ in 1987 and set up a black and white darkroom shortly thereafter. For the next 22 years I spent time in the community photographing and having occasional shows of that work. However, it didn’t feel complete in that the people in the photos weren’t seeing the work. A 3 month trip to Brazil in 2009 led to me spending time with street artists who introduced me to the large, wheat pasted photographs of JR which influenced the work I’m doing now.
Chip Thomas Mural from jetsonorama.net
I was invited by Kylie Walzak to do an installation at your original site in 2010. I returned in 2011 to install work as well. Then Colin Holmes invited me to do an installation there this year.
Racheal Rios and Chip Thomas at BICAS, 2021. Photo from Racheal Rios
Well, I’m working on a couple things. I just completed an installation at Fort Garland in the San Luis Valley on Native enslavement from 1492 to the late 1800s. As an extension of that I’m looking at doing an exhibition on the complex history of the Buffalo Soldiers who were stationed at Fort Garland for 3 years in the mid 1860s. They’re recognized and celebrated as Black American heroes but in truth they were freed enslaved people who were seeking acceptance into American society by participating in the settler-colonial narrative of fighting and killing Native people. In order for healing to begin we need to start there.
Chip Thomas mural from jetsonorama.net
Hit me up at @jetsonorama on the (Insta)gram or follow my blog – jetsonorama.net. Peace.
Chip Thomas mural from jetsonorama.net
Chip and Racheal at BICAS, 2021, photo from Racheal Rios
Follow, support, and shop Chip’s work by visiting the above links. Thank you Chip for your work!
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For questions, mural requests, media, metalworks commissions, information on our Annual Art Auction, workshop information, or parts requests, contact the BICAS Art Coordinator at art@bicas.org or 520.628.7950, or stop by the shop at 2001 N. 7th Ave during our open hours.
Find out more by following BICAS Art on Facebook, Instagram and on our Etsy shop!
