5 new Art Bike Racks unveiled in The Woodlands

Public art in The Woodlands includes more than 20 art benches and nearly 50 sculptures as well as mosaics and murals at locations throughout the township. This year, the township's first artistically inspired bike racks join the assortment of public art on view throughout The Woodlands.

Five bike rack designs were unveiled at a private Oct. 26 event at The Woodforest Bank Club at The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion.

Jenny Carattini-Wright, executive director of The Woodlands Arts Council, said the council promotes the public art projects, asks for underwriters, brings in the artists and curates the designs, and The Woodlands Township then installs and takes care of the installation for 10 years or longer depending on its longevity.

The new Art Bike Racks are:

• "5th Symphony Hedge" by Carolina Gonzalez is underwritten by and located at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. The rack features the opening notes of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony
• "Joyous Journey" by Jana Zaatreh is located at Riva Row and underwritten by the family of Chris and Jayla Davis. The rack is designed to look like a child's bead maze toy and is dedicated to the underwriter's mother.
• "Faith, Hope & Joy" by Robert Heinzelman is underwritten by James, Janet, Sarah and Maggie Stilwell and located at Hughes Landing. It portrays the idea of three riders on bicycles, expressing faith, hope and love.
• "TWTX" is by artists Michelle Old, Stacy Moore and Kevin Giuseppetti, located at The Woodlands Mall basin ring and underwritten by Chris and Jenny Elmi of The Elmi Group. The letters TWTX represent The Woodlands community and its relationship with art and nature.
• "Reflections" is coming soon from the same artists as "TWTX," underwritten by the Rieser Family Foundation.

"The end goal of this was to have something as a reminder for people to see today and find joy in the simple things in life," said Jana Zaatreh, who created the piece "Joyous Journey."

"For over 35 years, every year I took at least one bicycle tour somewhere in the United States. ... I've spent a lot of time on a bicycle, and I never get tired of bicycling and some of the things that intrigue me about bicycling. In my sculptures, I try to capture some of those things: balance, speed, competition, camaraderie," said Robert Heinzelman, who created the piece "Faith, Hope & Joy."

What's next

The last of the five initial bike racks, titled "Reflections," is coming soon, Carattini-Wright said.

"This bike rack was designed to express the key character of The Woodlands," Carattini-Wright said. "The artists of this bike rack want the design to remind people that they have the power to change and mold the community. It starts with one."

The rack will be constructed in Waterway Square, she said.

An additional partnership between the arts council and the township will be coming, with another five art bench opportunities coming for locations in township parks. There is a Dec. 31 underwriting deadline for the next series, Carattini-Wright said.

The Woodlands Arts Council recently opened in a location and has an exhibit underway.

Editor's note: This story was updated to reflect that the next underwriting opportunities are for art benches, not bike racks.