The Tucson community is invited to ride to Bicycle Inter-Community Art and Salvage (BICAS) to enjoy the pairing of Dragoon Brewing Co. beer and bicycle-themed art.
“There’s a sense of friendship and identification between people with a shared passion,” said Antonio Zepeda, art program coordinator for BICAS. “Cycling as a lifestyle — integrated by choice or circumstance — is a great way for people to feel healthier and empower themselves to keep doing what they’re doing.”
This year marks the third annual Beer for Bikes: Art for Auction — hosted from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 14.
For a contribution of $25, guests receive a T-shirt, an online art coupon, $20 BICAS credit, a BICAS sticker and a bid number for the Summer Mini Art Auction. The event is a smaller-scale auction, which features 20 art pieces, rather than the hundreds featured at BICAS’ winter art auction. Zepeda said that bids for the pieces can start as low as $5.
A Dragoon Drink discount ticket is also included in the contribution package that allows patrons to get their first pint for $1. Duke’s Delicious Pizza food truck will sell pies.
Along with the auction, patrons can play various games and other activities — the prize wheel and a raffle for gift baskets. Local businesses such as Antigone’s, Tucson Clay Co-op, Monsoon Mystics and Amazing Discoveries have donated gift cards and other rewards for the prize wheel. Zepeda said the BICAS team is considering raffling off a bike as well.
Additionally, local artist Caroline Martin will run Art Cart, an art station.
According to Zepeda, the mini auction raises funds for the bike shop to help it through the summer season. He said that business slows down considerably due to the heat, and the team relies on the community’s generosity.
Beyond supporting the people of Tucson, the nonprofit promotes sustainability.
“When an item such as a bike or bike part is donated to BICAS, it is either worked on by our mechanics and utilized to provide someone else with the opportunity to have a bike, reused in our art program, or recycled,” said Kristen Lindgren, BICAS’ development manager.
“By reusing items for art and recycling, we have prevented thousands of bikes and bike parts from ending up in the landfills.”
Funds from the Beer for Bikes and other community events help support programs at BICAS such as Crafternoons — a weekly arts and crafts event at the community center.
From 1 to 4 p.m. Saturdays, patrons make art out of recycled bicycle parts. The program goes on hiatus from June to September.
Additionally, BICAS offers its Community Tools program, where patrons work with a mechanic to learn more about bicycle mechanics and maintenance.
For 35 years, the organization has worked to make transportation more accessible to community members by selling various affordable bikes and bike parts. It also offers a work-trade program that allows residents to earn $16 per hour in store credit.
Also known as Bootstraps to Share of Tucson, BICAS was inspired by a movement and bicycle shop in Boston, called Bikes Not Bombs which aimed to enact social change.
“Bikes Not Bombs uses the bicycle as a vehicle for social change to achieve economic mobility for Black and other marginalized people in Boston and the Global South,” Bikes Not Bombs said on its website. “Bikes Not Bombs envisions a more just, equitable and sustainable world powered by bicycles and led by Black and other marginalized people.”
Lindgren said that BICAS aspires to achieve a similar goal of using bicycles to uplift the community, and the art auction event reflects that mission.
“BICAS works to empower the community through bicycle transportation, education, art and salvage,” she said. “Whether you would like to weld, make jewelry, paint, sketch or create functional art — community members are able to come to our art corners and art workshops and make art.”
Beer for Bikes: Art for Auction
WHEN: 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 14
WHERE: Dragoon Brewing Co., 1859 W. Grant Road, Suite 111, Tucson
COST: $25 contribution
INFO: bicas.org
This article appears in Jul 31 – Aug 7, 2025.