CROSS-PROMOTION

Spokes folks get artsy

By Sonya Tomlinson

There was a new stop on the First Friday Art Walk last week. The HUB, located at 55 Oak Street is not only the home of Maine’s sole bike courier service, self-service bike repair destination, and bicycle recycling stop, but now a gallery space and as well. Eli Cayer, owner of Rapid Inc., the parent company under which The HUB operates, “wanted to provide a space for new, unrecognized artists to display their work and give exposure to the shop, which is an artsy shop in itself.”

The opening reception for the show being called “Faze 0.1” displayed the works of five local artists: Robert Smyth, Carl Haase, Eli Cayer, Brook DeLorme, and Molly Phoenix. A combination of street and self-taught artists, and locally schooled MECA students, the show included more mainstream art genres, like graphic design, interior design, and stained glass; but also included some original fashions, artfully done. Alongside T-shirt designs by owner Cayer, Robert Smyth and partner Matt Aceto unveiled their line of clothing, Ratio. Smyth and Aceto have a rather urban flair, for example, taking the now-ubiquitous baseball three-quarter sleeve and jazzing it up with symmetrical and elaborate line drawings. They even throw back to the ’70s, in step with other contemporary designers, by affecting that good ol’ Dukes of Hazzard iron-on look.

Cayer, who’s main objective is to use art as a building block to strengthen community, considered their debut a success with an estimated 40 patrons. “It was positive because it wasn’t just about the art,” he said. “It was about socializing and creating other avenues for everybody there, as well.” He has future ventures planned that will include gallery openings twice a month — both at The HUB and collaborating with other local businesses in-town who wish to get in on the artistic act.

Keep an eye out for flyers announcing upcoming dates, which, when collected by you, the eager art-viewer, will culminate in unveiling the final stop in Cayer and Co.’s “Faze” storyboard.