There is a special exhibit in progress at the Clinton Presidential Center in Little Rock, called "Art of the Chopper". However, I did not use "Art of the Chopper" as the title of this post, thinking that readers who knew I did culinary tours would assume it was some story about a super-duper food chopper gadget. Rather, the post is titled after the name of one of the motorcycles on display called "The Holy Roller" by artist Mike Brown. A more descriptive spelling might be "hole-ly" roller because of the unusual open space hole in the front tire. (You can see me gazing through the large hole in the wheel in the upper, right hand corner of the photo grid above.) My non-engineering brain could not figure out how in the world the thing could roll, but I was assured by museum staff that all choppers in the exhibit had to actually work. I was particularly interested in the chopper on display by well-known enthusiast Arlen Ness. I was able to see Arlen Ness in person several years ago at the Laughlin, Nevada, motorcycle rally, and hear him tell the history of some of his creations. The brochure for the exhibit states that the "chopper" is a uniquely American icon, a creation that demands remarkable design and engineering while clearly expressing the artistry and personalities of their builders and owners. The exhibit features 30 of the finest, most exceptional custom motorcycles ever displayed. There is no extra fee to see the motorcycle exhibit--just the normal fees of visiting this new landmark on the Arkansas River that contains all kinds of historical artifacts from the Clinton years in the White House. The motorcycles will be on display there until February 8, 2009. For more information, log on to
www.clintonpresidentialcenter.org Keep on rollin' !! Tricia
