Perhaps you've noticed the 18-foot wide and 24-foot long painting attached to the east side of 310 W. Front (fnext to J & S Hamburg) in downtown Traverse City? The work, titled "Bike Collage," was created by Traverse City artist Paul Welch for this year's ArtPrize event in Grand Rapids. There it hung between two pillars of Plante Moran's building along the Grand River, visible to bicyclists and pedestrians on both sides of the river.

Welch, a retired NMC art instructor, wanted to make the piece available to his Traverse City community in the hopes of paving the way for more local artists to display their work in public places around town. The Downtown Development Association's public art committee recently drafted an ordinance outlining the process for inclusion of works of art in public spaces. Next it goes to the City Commission for possible final adoption.

In the meantime, Welch worked with Paul Britten of Britten Banners and photographer John Robert Williams after receiving approval from building owner Mike Anton to display the work.

Welch is selling poster-sized prints of the artwork at the Iceman Cometh Race Expo this Fri., Nov. 7, at the Grand Traverse Resort and is donating all proceeds to TART Trails.

"Our hope is it will make Traverse City more aware of art, more aware of bicycles, and encourage our town to become more walkable and bike friendly," says Tom Auer, a TART Trails board member.

How long it will hang at the location hasn't been determined.