Courtesy Photo Alpena Community College students are pictured with the newly fabricated bicycle racks that will be located around campus.

ALPENA — What do a sailboat, a car engine, and a theatre mask have in common? They’re all part of a colorful new addition to Alpena Community College’s campus — custom bike racks designed and created by ACC students and faculty.

The idea first rolled into motion back in 2018 when members of the Association of Lifelong Learners (ALL) met with college staff to brainstorm a unique way to blend art and function. The goal? Build artistic bike racks that showcase ACC’s diverse programs while encouraging healthy transportation on campus.

While COVID-19 brought the original project to a screeching halt, it was revived thanks to the determination of Jere Doyle with Mark Kinney and a group of dedicated faculty and students. The ACC Fine Arts Department led the charge, creating the initial designs. With input and feedback from staff across departments — including Fine Arts, CAD, Manufacturing, and Welding — the designs were refined and prepared for production by the CAD students. Omni Metalcraft provided the steel for the project and Doug Field paid for the tubing.

Each of the eight racks celebrates a different ACC program: Concrete Technology, Utility Technology, Manufacturing, Welding, Fine Arts, Theatre, Automotive Repair, and of course, the Association of Lifelong Learners. ALL’s contribution features a whimsical sailboat — a nod to the idea that learning is a lifelong journey. Garrett Bartlett’s welding fabrication class built seven of the racks and the manufacturing technology class built the sailboat-themed rack.

Special thanks go to welding instructor Tim Ratz, whose guidance and commitment were instrumental in making this project a success. Without his support, the bike racks would not have been possible.

Once the racks were built, McDonald Brothers Collision generously donated their time and talent to paint the structures, bringing them to life with vibrant color and personality.

To celebrate this collaboration, ALL will host a special recognition event during their annual meeting on Thursday, June 26 at 11:30 a.m. in the Van Lare Hall Student Commons located on ACC’s scenic riverfront campus. Those interested in learning about ALL are warmly invited to attend, enjoy a picnic lunch, and learn more about the ALL program and its mission to make learning fun at every stage of life.

Next time you’re on campus, hop on your bike and park it at one of these creative new racks — each one a symbol of what happens when art, education, and community come together.