Pedals & Pixels Showcase

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courtesy Bikes for Kids Wisconsin

Group photo of the 2025 participants and facilitators of Pedals and Pixels.

Group photo of the 2025 participants and facilitators of Pedals and Pixels.

media release: Bikes for Kids Wisconsin, a nonprofit dedicated to increasing the use of bicycle-based transportation for underserved communities, is taking an innovative approach to capturing the impact a bike can have on the life of a young person through a new educational program called Pedals and Pixels. They’ll be hosting the first annual Pedals and Pixels Showcase Gallery Event on Wednesday, August 20th at MYArts from 6:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. MYArts is Madison’s Youth Arts Center located at 1055 E. Mifflin Street, Madison, WI 53703. 

Pedals and Pixels is a collaborative summer workshop led by Bikes for Kids Wisconsin in partnership with Black Girl Magic Educational Services, facilitated by Heather Von Oesen Dean of Creative Across the Curriculum. The program is geared toward addressing the persistent inequities of lack of diversity and gender inequities in cycling. Rosa Thompson from Black Girl Magic and Kristie GoForth from Bikes for Kids Wisconsin are co-facilitators of the program. 

10 middle school girls are participating in creative writing lessons, photography lessons, and guided bike rides throughout the summer. Each girl receives a bicycle, a digital camera, and a journal as part of the program. They will document their experiences of what their bikes meant to them over the summer through creative writing and photography. Their works will be on display at the Showcase Gallery Event on Wednesday, August 20. The program was made possible through grant funding by Madison Rotary Foundation, Wisconsin Humanities, and Dane Arts. 

The gallery opens at 6:00 P.M. and the program will begin at 6:45 P.M. Participants will lead the showcase discussion by sharing the stories and personal experiences behind their photographs to broaden the understanding of impact that bikes have on real lives. This approach lifts community voices that may not typically be heard using art to enhance understanding of social needs within our community. The creative process and showcase discussion builds compassion, empathy, and awareness of self and to different perspectives. The program also builds foundational leadership skills that include coalition building and communication. The Showcase Gallery Event will be free and all are welcome to attend. Refreshments will be available. Their artwork will remain on display at MYArts for one month following the event. 

Heather Von Oesen Dean from Creative Across the Curriculum stated that, “Using an integrated arts approach to examine complex topics leads participants on a creative journey. The process removes the binary structure of right or wrong and replaces it with exploration, reflection, risk, and ultimately a personal truth. This type of creative work could spark a dream for the future.” Heather founded Creative Across the Curriculum in 2016. She began her career as a teacher in public schools in Chicago for 20 years. She later became an Arts Integration Professor at the University of Tampa. She embarked on her own endeavor in 2016. 

“This program is empowering for participants, enlightening for viewers, and inspiring for everyone,” said Kristie GoForth, Executive Director of Bikes for Kids Wisconsin. “As both a biker and an artist, I believe deeply in the power of art to communicate what words sometimes can’t. Girls, especially girls of color, continue to face real barriers to biking, and I’m thrilled to see this creative, meaningful approach helping to break those down.”  

About Bikes for Kids Wisconsin:

Bikes for Kids Wisconsin is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that hosts annual Bike Giveaway and Bike to Work programs distributing 2,000 bikes annually. They also provide low-cost used bike sales and service for the public, and provide youth education through Bike Mechanics classes in the fall.