Artists to make ofrendas for Houston's dead cyclists
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A white ghost bike honoring Houston cyclist Chelsea Norman, who died in 2013. Photo: Mayra Beltran/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images
A group of artists will honor cyclists who have died on Houston streets at an upcoming Día de los Muertos exhibit.
Why it matters: Their effort highlights the real-life consequences of traffic crashes involving bicyclists and aims to invigorate the push for safer Houston streets.
Driving the news: The artists will create personalized ofrendas for eight Houston cyclists who died in traffic crashes.
- Additionally, each cyclist's ghost bike memorial — a white bicycle marking the location near where they died — will be spruced up with flowers to honor the occasion.
Zoom in: The victims to be memorialized are Bennis Noble Butcher (who died in 1916), Michael Demny (1996), Chelsea Norman (2013), Marjorie Corcoran (2017), David Leon Loya Jr. (2019), Samiha Fatima Hossain (2019), Shane McKinney (2022) and Rodney Adkins (2023). They were chosen because their deaths happened close to the city center.
- Karla Cisneros, a former Houston City Council member, is leading the effort as an artist and organizer.
- The other artists are Victor Ancheta, Julieta Cahue, Veronica Cabrera-Moreno, José Fernandez, Louis Gonzalez, Anne Houang and Hannah Lowery.
Between the lines: While on the council, Cisneros supported the Houston Bike Plan — which prescribed more than 1,800 miles of bike lanes across town — and initiated a handful of safe street projects in her district.
What they're saying: "When you make roadways safer for bicyclists, you make roads safer for everyone," Cisneros tells Axios, citing the lessons she learned as a council member.
- "Since leaving council, I have redirected my energy into another passion of mine, art," Cisneros said. "And I am funneling some of my frustration into art projects that advocate for safer streets."
The big picture: The artwork comes as road safety advocates fight for the protection of bike infrastructure.
- Mayor John Whitmire has scrapped components of the Houston Bike Plan and other safety projects, including demolishing an already installed bike lane in Midtown, questioning another in the Heights and removing new medians on Houston Avenue intended to improve pedestrian safety.
What's next: The ofrendas will be on display MECA's 25th annual Día de Muertos exhibition at the historic Dow Elementary building Oct. 17 through Nov. 14.