From smoothies to spin art

Joe Vecchione set out to make smoothies with his bicycle.

What happened next has become one of Windsor’s treasures, delighting patrons of the Farmer’s Market for years.

Vecchione, an archeologist, inventor and proud father, said the idea was to start “a little local business” with his family by turning a stationary bicycle into a public blender for soups and smoothies which they’d sell at the Farmer’s Market.

“I want them to get the same satisfaction about meeting people, not being shy and timid like I was when I was a kid,” Vecchione said. “Just have fun and enjoy doing what you are doing.”

“So, we made smoothies and blended soups,” the 45-year-old explained. “And that was fun. But it just got to be too much. handling food.”

It also lacked the interactivity Vecchione was looking for. Instead of spending time doing something together, he found his customers to be just that: People who were looking for a financial transaction. They’d buy their smoothies and walk away.

In 2018, he turned his strange-looking bicycle blender into a people-powered “spin art” machine and now encourages members of the public to pedal their way to their own spun masterpiece – for free.

It worked, and not just because of the lack of a pricetag g; the bright orange bike and blue umbrella combined with Vecchione’s warm smile and his family’s artistic tips turned out to be a combination that’s impossible to resist. the Vecchione’s first spin art booth opened in 2018 and the family hasn’t looked back since.

Saturday mornings, their booth can be counted on to have a line-up of people waiting to ride the stationary bike equipped with a spinning wooden wheel, blank canvases and bottles of brightly coloured paint. Family members offer instruction on colour theory (mixing blue and yellow leads to green) while pedaling and hang the finished works of their clients on the edge of their umbrella to dry.

“I saw that there was more engagement, especially with kids,” he said. “So, I saw that was very cooperative (and) engaging for adults and kids and I started I have more fun doing the spinner than I did the smoothies.”

Instead of what ingredients to put in, how much is it costing, it became about having fun. “The spinner was a lot more fun for me,” Vecchiones said.

While some might bristle at the “free art” being offered by the Vecchiones and the ramifications that has for “starving artists everywhere” artist Briana Benore sees the spinners’ presence as a positive for the Farmer’s Market and art in general.

“In terms of creativity and exploring different avenues and realms of being creative I would say the spinner does well, like electric,” Benore said.

“It brings the community together and it allows people to interact and network together. The vision is like people coming together and having a good time having fun families, children, adults, all ages, you know, and then so they get to come together and experience something really wonderful.”

Performing arts in public for free doesn’t devalue the work of others, Benore said, adding the spinners are introducing people to art – in some cases, for the first time in their lives. That, she said, should be celebrated.

“Happiness is not a destination; it is a way of life,” Benore explained. “People went through like an isolation period with the pandemic where everybody was pushed aside and like, you know, going through a lot of challenging times.”

“I would say please be yourself and do what makes you happy because that is what we have. We have one life to live. Live it right and be good to one another and have fun.”

Spin art is definitely fun for the Gregorian’s.

Tim Gregorian, along with his wife and daughter, discovered Vecchione’s bicycle during a visit to the Farmers Market and instantly fell in love.

We discovered the, the, what do you call this machine … the machine that helps you make a beautiful piece of art in in a minute or two,” Gregorian said. “And this machine was very popular at the carnivals at Boblo, they would charge you two or $3. And you’d be able to make this wonderful piece of art that you can take home.”

Gregorian, an avid cyclist who rides 10 kms a day, said the memory was “a highlight” of his childhood that he wanted to share with his daughter.

“When I saw it, I said let’s try it out and I had my daughter make the actual piece of art while I rode the bike. And so, it’s nice to be able to do the ride while making art at the same time. Very cool.”

It’s experiences like Gregorian’s that keep the Vecchione’s spinning.

“Windsor is a city of factories and manufacturing; it is our bread and butter,” Vecchione summed up. “But we have a lot more to offer. Arts are way to spread joy and positivity; make Windsor a more cosmopolitan city, a more inviting city.”

“How nice to see people who have beautiful initiatives to spread happiness and maintain human ties in this time ruled by economic interests.”