![\"A](\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/41\/2018\/04\/harley2-20180402_IMC_EH_0001-300x200.jpg\")
Working with the UWM Foundation, the decision to hold a raffle along with presenting sponsor Educators Credit Union emerged as the ideal option to benefit the scholarship fund, said Robert Grame, the associate dean of the Peck School. The Peck School held an arts call open to undergraduate and graduate Art & Design students with a theme of service and community in Milwaukee.<\/p>\n
Graduate student Amber Van Galder was selected by the jurors to customize the motorcycle\u2019s design. Van Galder, who grew up immersed in car and motorcycle culture, said her passion for working with \u201csomething with wheels\u201d has always overlapped with art and design.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a small pool (of submissions), but a good pool,\u201d said Grame, \u201cand Amber was chosen as the jurors\u2019 choice. It\u2019s really a stunning customization that she made.\u201d<\/p>\n
The arts call sought to incorporate Milwaukee\u2019s cultural and industrial history in the motorcycle\u2019s redesign. Van Galder found inspiration for the design in traditional patina, or aging, processes, Les Paul\u2019s classic Sunburst guitar and the rusty, orange tones of foundry and manufacturing hubs such as Allis-Chalmers.<\/p>\n
It took a little over one month of work to take the motorcycle from retired police cruiser to a reimagined, drivable, custom piece of art.<\/p>\n
\u201cCustom car culture is huge in my family. It\u2019s almost like something that\u2019s inside of me, and I relate art with cars,\u201d said Van Galder. \u201cWith my program and my personal work I\u2019ve wanted to bring in custom car culture and motorcycle culture into that. This was a really great opportunity to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Motorcycle](\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/41\/2018\/04\/harley1-20180402_IMC_EH_0003-300x200.jpg\")