Hill City Arts Council Builds Custom Motorcycle Sic Vic’s House of Horsepower in Hill City Helps Raise Funds for Arts Programming
April 18, 2008, Hill City – The art of building motorcycles and the beauty of the ride in the Black Hills has inspired an innovative partnership in Hill City. Vic Fuhrmann, who owns Sic Vic’s House of Horsepower, was approached by the Hill City Arts Council in the Fall of 2007 to explore the idea of building a motorcycle for the Arts Council to raise funds for the arts in Hill City. Art Council President Janna Emmel said it doesn’t take a big stretch of the imagination to see a connection: “A bike builder understands line, shape, movement, color, but his artwork must withstand horsepower, or as Vic puts it…lots of attitude!”
Though there has been considerable innovation in bike design and style in the past few years, for Vic Fuhrmann, it’s the ride that’s most important, and he assures, “this is a comfortable bike that you’ll love to ride.”
The Hill City Arts Council Board of Directors wanted to use the talents of a local builder to create a bike specially made for the arts in Hill City. Called “Retro Deco” by Randy Berger, the project coordinator for the Arts Council, the motorcycle hints at an Art Deco, 1930’s style, with a modern thoroughbred touch --- a 120 cubic inch motor built by Furhmann – more than double the horsepower of a typical stock bike.” Adds Berger, “This art goes fast!”
The bike was shown for the first time in Hill City at Prairie Berry at the Western Heritage Festival fundraiser April 19-20, and will be shown at various locations in Hill City throughout the summer after inspection and titling this month. Meanwhile, the $20 raffle tickets can be purchased at Jewels of the West, Jon Crane Gallery, Warrior’s Work and Art Council Board Member. Additional contributors to the project included Mel’s Auto Body of Rapid City who donated the art deco paint job. Dick Kurtz of Rapid added the pin striping and Gary French helped with the seat.
Sic Vic’s House of Horsepower, one of the premier custom motorcycle fabricators in the Black Hills, is located just north of Hill City where he offers bike building, repair and motorcycle accessories for customers. No stranger to good causes, Vic and his wife Shelley will host their 4th Annual Shriner’s Fundraiser on Saturday, June 7, with a poker run starting at the shop. The fun includes an auction, live music and prizes for poker hands, as it raises money for kids who need the help. The Arts Council will be there with their Retro Deco bike, selling tickets, but no one will ride it until the winner is drawn, on May 9, 2009 during Hill City’s Art Extravaganza.
“In the meantime,” says Emmel, “we expect to sell a lot of raffle tickets to a lot of bikers and art supporters,” and adds, “you can’t beat a custom bike for $20.” The Arts Council will turn those twenties into thousands of dollars for arts programming for Hill City citizens.
This type of fundraiser is not new to the Arts Council. In 2003 the Arts Council and Hill City’s Economic Development sold tickets for a vintage Rolls Royce donated by Stan Adelstein. The winner was Hill City’s own James Dean of Dakota Stone. Funds raised by the raffle completed the installation of “Patriarch,” the monumental bronze bison displayed at “Spirit of the Hills” Park on East Main Street.
