Motorcycle Art created by Bikers, and an Open House at an amazing studio. Did people show? Ask the creator of the event, Steve Schader and he would say "Wow. I can't believe the attendance of the 2nd Annual Chrome & Chroma Motorcycle Art Exhibit. It blew me away". 

A year has passed since the first Chrome & Chroma Motorcycle Art Exhibit was held in a downtown photographer's studio, a cool grungy warehouse that had no air conditioning, but was attended by over 200 people. Steve was hoping for a slightly larger attendance this year when the idea about having a second show popped into his head last February, 2009. He recalls last year when he had discussed the event with the well-known motorcycle photographer Michael Lichter, who he really wanted in the previous show but could not get because of scheduling conflicts. Michael told him that he should have the event again, and that he would be honored to be in the show, but to be sure NOT to have the opening fall on either of the weekends of the Sturgis rally. Schader listened, and decided to have the opening a couple weeks after the Black Hills rally. 

When Steve was beginning his search for a venue to have the next showcase of biker art, he had located a place down near Colfax and Kipling that would fit his needs. Next he called his friend Danial James, who had donated four pieces to the previous show, and asked him if he wanted to be in the "2nd Annual Chrome & Chroma Motorcycle Art Exhibit". Dan stated this: "Sure Steve, I would love to put some pieces in this year's show, and I can probably get David (David Uhl, his partner) to add a couple pieces too. By the way, would you interested in holding the show in our new studio and gallery?". Steve's jaw hit the ground as he responded "Are you serious? Hell yeah!" 

Steve had been by their studio a few times as it was being constructed and knew that it was the perfect place for a biker art show. The studio/gallery is an amazing piece of architecture as the main structure is part of an old train station. Dan and David had created a building that in itself is a piece of art, with an extended structure that looks like something out of Architectural Digest, having large open windows with rusted metal panels on the outside which also includes a large sculptural eagle head in metal that works as a drain dripping water into a pond onto the patio, with a modern, almost loft-like feel on the inside and a full kitchen on both levels. The gallery, on the lower level, is a wonderfully open space with a few moveable walls which also showcases many different pieces of quality merchandise in it's retail area. 

Now Steve had secured a great venue to hold his show with the two owners on board to hang some of their artwork. He decided to make that call to Michael Lichter to see if he wanted to be part of this, knowing that Michael was very busy and usually out at one of the rallies shooting photos. Mike was in!  After getting these three on board, the artists came out of the woodwork. Schader wanted this to be a well rounded show too, so he sent emails to get a sculptor, an airbrush artist, a tattoo artist, and another biker photographer. In only a couple weeks, he had seven artists for his show. Then Dan made sure that Steve be in this year's show since Dan knew Schader was also a biker artist. This group of artists was astounding. The line-up included David Uhl, Danial James, Jeff Decker, Monte Moore, Michael Lichter, Nikolas Pew, Abel and Steve Schader.

Over the next couple months, Schader and James worked very hard to get the word out and Steve even offered up his side company, American Throttle, to be one of the sponsors for the show. American Throttle, The Game, is a board game based on a poker run that includes motorcycle trivia and visual cards (questions about movies, music, travel, biker history, etc), motorcycle game pieces that travel to different rallies around the U.S., and of course, poker. It's a cool and fun game to play and has only been out on the market for a year and a half. Bikers and non bikers have enjoyed playing this unique board game. You can learn more about it at www.americanthrottle.com or by calling Steve (Shady) at 720.981.8655. Also aquired as sponsors were Rocky Mountain Harley-Davidson and Grizzly Creek Custom Framing, who now is located in part of the the Uhl Studios building. Steve also cranked up a call to his good friend who played live at last year's show and he too was on board for this event. A Denver staple, Emilio Dominguez and his band Emilio Emilio were scheduled to play their brand of rock and blues that evening, and they did not disappoint.

The time was now getting near and much of the legwork had been finalized, including delivering postcards around town, purchasing all types of beverages, and obtaining volunteers to help with food and parking for the evening. David Uhl's wife Elizabeth was a major contributor in getting the event details worked out a few weeks prior to the opening. David and a few of the artists including Dan, Steve, Michael and Jeff, along with Vinnie Terranova from Rocky Mountain Harley were asked to swing by the studio of 630 AM KHOW and hang with Peter Boyles to discuss the upcoming Chrome & Chroma Motorcycle Art Exhibit and Grand Opening of Uhl Studios. Peter, who is also an avid rider and biker, was an inspiration to all who listened and he himself showed up at the opening, which occurred on the evening of Friday, August 21st, 2009.

The weather was perfect. No rain was predicted which was amazing considering that the whole spring and summer consisted of afternoon thunderstorms... and mother nature stuck to her word. Because of that, the attendance was staggering. Art enthusiasts, bikers, and many others attended the event to see the motorcycle art exhibit created by motorcycle artists, the new gallery and studio, and to help contribute to a worthy cause. Some of the proceeds from the evening were donated to support fighting Autism in the form of helping with the upcoming Rides & Rods Weekend happening September 11th and 12th (check out www.ridesandrodsweekend.com for more details on how you can participate and contribute). All proceeds from this event will go to Autism Speaks.

The night could not have been planned any better. Emilio Emilio was phenomenal. The band rocked the crowd, which at one point probably topped out at about 400 in and around the building. After Steve talked with Dan a couple days later, Dan and David figured the evening brought in over 800 attendees. The only damper on the evening occurred when 40 or so flashing vehicles showed up and decided to set up a sobriety checkpoint right in front of the party. This caused quite a commotion and much of the crowd was stunned knowing they had to ride or drive out onto Colfax and through the multitude of Jefferson County's finest. The majority of attendees were there past 10 pm and many hardcore party-goers stayed beyond midnight, enjoying conversation from the artists and bikers who were still hanging around. If you are interested in seeing the show, i t will be up until the last week of September so if you have the time, swing by and check out the 2nd Annual Chrome & Chroma Motorcycle Art Exhbiit at Uhl Studios, 15801 West Colfax Ave., Golden, CO 80401.