Uniting Manhattan through the celebration of public art.
2019 FEATURED ARTIST
Bicicleta Sem Freio (Portuguese for “Bicycle Without Brakes”) is an internationally acclaimed duo from Brazil. Douglas de Castro and Renato Perreira joined together in 2005. Mostly inspired by rock posters at the beginning, they became internationally famous for their hand-drawn illustrations and large-scale public artworks around the world through Justkids, a global creative house. Their work can be seen in major cities, including London, Berlin, Hong Kong, Miami, Las Vegas, Montreal and Los Angeles (where they painted the largest building ever downtown). Their sophistication is revealed by the layers of ideas they depict and the myriad of references they suggest, showcasing ironic pop iconography and an unexpected juxtaposition of tropical rock ’n’ roll and provocative imagery. Their art is more than enough to keep your eyes wide open and plenty to mesmerize you without brake!
CURATOR
Justkids
Justkids is a global creative house that conceives, curates and produces comprehensive art projects on an international scale with some of the most engaging contemporary artists, curators and strategic consultants. Founded in 2014 by French-American art curator Charlotte Dutoit, Justkids is a 100% woman-led enterprise that supports a diverse team of established and upcoming visual artists to meet the demands of a constantly evolving audience, delivering public art, art programming for festivals, temporary exhibitions, artist residency programs, art investment consulting, brand/artist collaboration projects and content production, offering fresh and engaging visual experiences with high-caliber artists.
EVENTS
Mural Painting
OCTOBER 28 – NOVEMBER 2
Bicicleta Sem Freio will work between 9 a.m. – 7 p.m. daily on a large mural on the wall facing A.J.’s New York Pizzeria’s patio. Stop by at any time to watch the duo work on their masterpiece.
Young Professionals
Watch Party
NOVEMBER 1 | 5:30-7:00pm
Drink, eat pizza, and watch Bicicleta Sem Freio paint from the A.J.’s New York Pizzeria patio!
Reveal Party
NOVEMBER 2
View the completed mural and celebrate public art at A.J.’s New York Pizzeria.
Public Art Panel Discussion
NOVEMBER 2 | 3:00-4:40pm
What’s the difference between art and graffiti? How can public art shape a community? Is it better to fund art publicly or privately?
Join us for a public discussion upstairs at the Strecker Nelson West Gallery on Poyntz to hear from a panel of experts and leaders in the field address these questions and more.
ABOUT
WHAT IS INCITE MHK?
Incite MHK is an annual community-wide celebration of public art in Manhattan, Kansas. This year, the celebration runs from Oct. 27 – Nov.2.
For the inaugural celebration, Brazilian artists Bicicleta Sem Freio will paint a large public mural in downtown Manhattan, curated and produced by Justkids. The new public artwork will be revealed on Nov. 2. 2019.
WHERE CAN I SEE THE PAINTING?
From Oct. 27 – Nov. 2. you can see Bicicleta Sem Freio painting the wall facing A.J.’s New York Pizzaeria’s patio. Stop by any time to watch the duo work on their masterpiece.
WHY DOES INCITE MHK EXIST?
Incite MHK is the brainchild of six community members with a passion for bringing Manhattan together through the arts. With the support of Greater Manhattan Community Foundation’s Deihl Community Grants Program and the curatorial and production expertise of global creative house Justkids, the group was able to commission artists to create a site-specific mural in our downtown and inspire other events celebrating the arts in our community. The group intends to make Incite MHK an annual celebration, organizing different cultural events every year.
HOW CAN I GET INVOLVED?
Attend one of our events or contact us.
Engage with us on Facebook and Instagram with the hashtag #incitemhk19.
Donate to the Incite MHK fund to make next year’s event possible.
FUNDING
The Lincoln and Dorothy Deihl Community Grants Program, administered by the Greater Manhattan Community Foundation, established three fundamental priorities: basic human needs, youth, and the arts and humanities. The foundation granted Incite MHK $30,000 in order to create a mural in Manhattan. The Incite MHK Fund was created as a result.
Do you want to help make Incite MHK an annual event? Donate to the Incite MHK Fund.
Want to get involved?
Whether you’re an artist who wants to share your talent, or a building owner with space to display, or even a community advocate, we want to hear from you!