Women & Motorcycling Exhibit hits the road
11 October 2000
PICKERINGTON, Ohio -- The Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum is out to dispel a few stereotypes with a new traveling exhibit, "Women & Motorcycling," that will tour selected cities starting in November. Showcasing the fact that women have long been a part of motorcycling's grand history, the exhibit will appear as part of the 2000-2001 Cycle World International Motorcycle Shows Presented by Toyota Trucks. The Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum Women & Motorcycling exhibit will augment and accompany the AMA's traditional role as an exhibitor in the annual shows, appearing at 11 of the 12 events during the 2000-2001 season. Here's some background on the exhibit: When the Motorcycle Heritage Foundation opened its motorcycle museum in Westerville, Ohio in 1990, one of the first exhibits featured a tribute to women and motorcycling. The museum moved to a more spacious facility in Pickerington, Ohio, in 1998 and was renamed the Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum. The exhibit was updated earlier this year as part of the AMA's second Women & Motorcycling National Conference in July, 2000. The new version was based largely on the content of the 1990 Women and Motorcycling Exhibit, but updated to create a more contemporary message. Says exhibit curator Ed Youngblood: "The first exhibit may have left the impression that the world of women's motorcycling was driven by a handful of standout personalities throughout history. It may have overemphasized the 'minority aspect' of women and motorcycling. We wanted to make the point that motorcycling today includes hundreds of thousands of women at every level of our sport and industry. We also wanted to do a better job of placing women's motorcycling events in an historical context," says co-curator and associate editor for American Motorcyclist magazine, Kim Barlag. "We wanted to connect women's motorcycling with the whole century-long women's movement." The new exhibit is built around three-dozen full-color, light weight panels that are packed with images and information. The panels include timelines depicting historical events from the past century, including quotes from famous women like Susan B. Anthony and Janis Joplin. The names of more than 1,500 women who are currently active in various aspects of modern motorcycling are included on the exhibit's display panels. "We knew it would be impossible to mention the name of every woman who deserves to be listed," says Barlag. "Our intention was to create an overall impression and help viewers understand that women's motorcycling is about much more than a few heroic personalities throughout history." On display at each location will be two legendary motorcycles ridden by two very fast women: The first is Gina Bovaird's 1980 Yamaha TZ500 production road- racing machine. Bovaird is credited with being the first woman in the famous Daytona 200 motorcycle race. The other is Tammy Kirk's Harley-Davidson XR750 dirt track racing motorcycle. Kirk is the first woman to qualify in an AMA Grand National Final. In addition to the women featured in the first version of the exhibit, the stories of contemporary heroines are highlighted to bring the story into the 21st century. Voni Glaves is depicted for her high-mileage exploits and her use of motorcycling to build relationships with special-needs children. Also included are the stories of Gin Shear and Sue Slate, whose Pony Express Rides have raised more than a million dollars for breast cancer research. "It is very satisfying to see how our visitors respond to this exhibit," says museum director Mark Mederski. "There is no doubt it has met our goal to tell the larger story about women and motorcycling." Many of the pioneers exalted in the exhibit were on hand to cut the ribbon officially opening the exhibit on July 15, 2000. Hundreds of women toured the museum during the 2000 AMA Women & Motorcycling conference, and the exhibit was judged the most popular feature of the conference by the attendees. Quotes from some of them: "The museum exhibit was first class..." "The museum was a very emotional experience for me..." "I am so pleased to have these women recognized for their contributions to the sport..." "I was moved to tears by the museum exhibit...I was impressed with the museum display..." The Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum Women & Motorcycling exhibit goes on tour with the 20th Anniversary Cycle World International Motorcycle Shows Presented by Toyota Trucks this winter. It can be seen at the following locations: Nov. 10-12, 2000 -- San Mateo County Expo Center, San Mateo, Calif. Dec. 1-3, 2000 -- Stadium Exhibition Center, Seattle, Wash. Dec. 8-10, 2000 -- Long Beach Convention Center, Long Beach, Calif. Dec. 15-17, 2000 -- Dallas Convention Center, Dallas, Texas. Jan. 12-14, 2001 -- Pennsylvania Convention Center, Philadelphia, Pa. Jan. 26-28, 2001 -- Minneapolis Convention Center, Minneapolis, Minn. Feb. 2-4, 2001 -- IX Center, Cleveland, Ohio. Feb. 9-11, 2001 -- Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, Rosemont, Ill. Feb. 16-18, 2001 -- Cobb Galleria, Atlanta, Ga. Feb. 23-25, 2001 -- Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, New York, N.Y. March 23-25, 2001 -- TWA Dome at America's Center, St. Louis, Mo. The Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum is located alongside the AMA headquarters, 13515 Yarmouth Dr., Pickerington, Ohio. The museum is open daily 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Admission is $3. Holiday hours vary, call for information. AMA, AMCA members and seniors receive a $1 discount; children are free. Call (614) 856-2222 for more info or visit www.motorcyclemuseum.org