a big ride

Ocala is a bustling place, but when it came time three years ago to locate someone who had experience in the disparate areas of competitive bike racing and fine art, the list might have been a bit short.

Whether the list was as short as just one name we may never know, because the Marion Cultural Alliance (MCA) quickly found the perfect person to direct its first annual Ride for the Arts: former competitive cyclist and current fine artist Mary Verrandeaux.

“They approached me to coordinate everything, knowing I was both a cyclist and an artist,” she says. “And because I had hands in both pots, I said, ‘I can do this.’”

Before Verrandeaux blossomed into an artist of distinction (She was the o cial artist of Horse Shows in the Sun and last year launched her Artletic Apparel line.), she was a competitive cyclist. In 1984, only a pre-trial crash that fractured her skull prevented her from a possible spot on the U.S. Olympic team, and a year later, she was selected for the U.S. team for the 1985 Women’s Tour de France. She founded Verrandeaux Visual Communications in 1985 and grew it into a million-dollar business before selling it to devote herself to art full time.

Verrandeaux bubbles with enthusiasm describing the growth of the Ride for the Arts. And its third year comes with the biggest changes yet.

“This is the first year we’re doing a Gran Fondo [loosely translated from Italian as “big ride”],” she says. “Italy is the mothership of cycling, and the Gran Fondo opens us to a whole new set of participants.”

The Gran Fondo begins on April 22 at 8am at the Brick City Center for the Arts and includes three races. The short, 15-mile race is the Piccolo, a beginner’s race on flat terrain. The Medio race runs 38 miles, turning o just as the riders enter the more challenging hills. And finally, the Gran Fondo runs 78 miles, through long stretches of horse country, challenging even the best riders.

“Cycling has gotten very trendy in the past few years, and these types of events are very popular,” Verrandeaux says. “The ride allows us to showcase our community. Our entire course in Ocala is just stunning.”

Along with the expansion of the race into a Gran Fondo comes the event’s inaugural cash prizes. A total of $2,000 will be doled out to the top 10 finishers in the men’s and women’s divisions, along with medals. First-place finishers will also earn a prestigious winner’s jersey.

After the races, which finish back at the Brick City Center, the MCA hosts a lunch and o ers massages to participants, among other frivolity. It’s also there that participants can bring home a unique souvenir of their race: fine art.

Yes, another unique aspect of the Ride for the Arts is its plein (open) air painting exhibition, where artists line the course and paint as the race progresses. At the end, the art is available for sale.

“This year, we’re expanding, so we have even more artists,” Verrandeaux says. “A lot of cyclists come from far away, and they want something to remember their ride by. We get to introduce a lot of cyclists to the amazing artists in Ocala.”

And those Ocala artists are hooked, too.

“It was such a pleasure to see the bikers sailing by as we were on location painting and sharing that experience in such a di erent way,” says Linda Eades Blackburn, one of last year’s plein air painters. “It really drives home the fact that there are many ways to enjoy being outside and feel the joy of being surrounded by the great beauty our scenery provides.”

“It was such a pleasure to see the bikers sailing by as we were on location painting and sharing that experience in such a different way. It really drives home the fact that there are many ways to enjoy being outside and feel the joy of being surrounded by the great beauty our scenery provides.”

—LINDA EADES BLACKBURN

Verrandeaux reports that this year’s Gran Fondo is on track to race at least 500 cyclists, more than a threefold jump from last year. It’s safe to say that the event, which has contributed nearly $10,000 to the MCA endowment (which gives grants to various cultural organizations, like the ballet) in its first two years, should match that in 2017 alone.

“We’re way ahead of last year in terms of entries, with a huge number of sponsors,” Verrandeaux says. And the race is no longer a one-woman show. After spending the first two years as an unpaid volunteer making all the major decisions, Verrandeaux now has an outstanding committee working with her.

“There’s no way you can do a Gran Fondo by yourself,” Verrandeaux smiles. “We’re so excited. We hope to build momentum each year, and that’s just what’s happening.”

Verrandeaux says her goal was always to grow the race to 2,500 riders—“and then I’ll be done.”

If the Ride for the Arts keeps growing by leaps and bounds, Verrandeaux will have to pedal harder than she ever has to escape the pleas she’ll leave behind.

Want to ride? › THE MARION CULTURE ALLIANCE’S RIDE FOR THE ARTS › April 22 at the Brick City Center for the Arts (23 SW Broadway St., Ocala) › Entry fee for the Gran Fondo (78 miles) is $110, the Medio (38 miles) $45 and the Piccolo (15 miles) $35 › rideforthearts.com or (352) 369-1500 or info@mcaocala.com