A bike ride through Edward Hopper’s world, from The Whitney to Nyack and back again
Much as they are today, the streets of Nyack were teeming with bicyclists when Edward Hopper was growing up on North Broadway in the late 1800s.
Cycling was all the rage, and young Edward caught the bug, riding his wood-rimmed bike around the area in search of images that would make their way into his drawings. He even pedaled into Manhattan to watch the bike races popular in his day.
The renowned artist might be pleased to know the 141st anniversary of his birth on July 22 will be celebrated with a bike ride from Manhattan to Nyack and back.
The 60-mile routestarts and ends at The Whitney Museum of American Art, home to many of Hopper’s works — including drawings of bicycling scenes he made as a teenager. It stops at the Hopper House Museum and Study Center in Nyack, birthplace and childhood home of the painter and printmaker, who died in 1967.
The ride offers cyclists a chance to discover connections between Hopper's experiences in Nyack and New York City, and in between, said Kathleen Motes Bennewitz, executive director of the Hopper House.
“In Hopper's day the streets of Nyack were filled with 'wheelwomen' and 'wheelmen,’ “ Bennowitz said. “In his youth, the aspiring artist also wound his way with friends through the village and beyond.”
The idea for an event connecting the two arts organizations sprang from a bike trip Whitney curator Kim Conaty and colleagues took in October to visit Nyack.
As he pedaled village roads and later explored the life and landscape of the city after moving to Manhattan, Hopper paid close attention to the scenes around him, Conaty said.
“The Whitney Hopper Ride will offer a window into the artist’s unique and personal vision of the world, one formed in the very places we will pass through,” Conaty said.
The route traces the Hudson River greenway, crosses the George Washington Bridge, travels north into Nyack, and crosses the Mario Cuomo Bridge on the southbound trip back to the Meatpacking District.
While refueling on snacks and touring Hopper House — where the artist’s rusted 1897 bicycle is on display — riders can visit the exhibition, “Ellsworth Kelly: The States of The River,” featuring nine lithographs by the highly regarded painter, sculptor and printmaker.
The bike ride is coordinated by OutCycling, an LGBTQ+ cycling network open to everyone, which describes the pace as averaging between 12-15 mph.
Jane Carey, The Whitney’s director of government and community affairs, is looking forward to the excursion, especially the sweeping views from the George Washington Bridge and rolling terrain along Route 9W into Nyack.
“When you’re spending that much time on your bike, you get to contemplate the scenery you’re riding through,” Carey said. “It’s gorgeous.”
Whitney Hopper Ride
What: 60-mile, round-trip bicycle ride celebrating what would have been Edward Hopper’s 141st birthday.
There will be A- and B-level rides with speeds averaging between 12-15 mph. Riders should have a bike in good condition and be able to handle moderate hills.
SAG (support and gear) will be provided along the route.
When: Meet at 7 a.m. Saturday, July 22
Where: Starts and ends at The Whitney Museum of American Art, 99 Gansevoort St., Manhattan, stopping midway at the Hopper House Museum and Study Center, 82 N. Broadway, Nyack.
Cost: $100, which includes a Whitney Hopper Ride water bottle, two tickets to both Edward Hopper House and the Whitney, and a voucher for pizza and beverage from Simo Pizza.
Visit outcycling.org/rides/669 for information/registratio
Want to celebrate but not ride?
Hopper House will be open from 1-3 p.m. for “Happy Hopper Day '' on July 22 with Hopper-related art activities and games.
The Whitney is offering Hopper-related children’s crafts from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. July 22 as part of its weekly Open Studio drop-in program. Kids 18 and under are free, as are the craft.
Robert Brum is a freelance journalist who writes about the Hudson Valley. Contact him and read his work at robertbrum.com.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Edward Hopper bike ride: Go from the Whitney to Nyack and back
