By Jacob Harkins

Miss Amy Jo has a style. It’s out-of-print books, rusted signs, and objects rich with character earned from years of wear and tear. Cruiser bicycles have a style. They’re beat up pre-WWI artifacts, classic curves and big-ass balloon tires.

Miss Amy Jo’s art combines the two. She’s a poster artist, a Minneapolis-based graphic designer by day, and rides around town on a shiny, new Hiawatha cruiser by night. It’s a pretty bike, striking even. But her work is what drew us to her. Since 2002, she’s been producing a few dozen prints a year, building an impressive catalog of concert and event promos that you actually want on your walls-framed. And despite being short on bicycle images, her talent has earned her a place at the uber competitive Artcrank: A Poster Party for Bike People show in Minneapolis that has grown exponentially in its three years.

Look no further than Roots, above, the piece that appeared in this year’s show, to see why.

“Amy Jo’s work reminds me of firecrackers,” says Charles Youel, the Artcrank creator who made the event so popular that more than a thousand fans lined up, wrapping around blocks, just to get a glimpse of the springtime show in a Minneapolis bike shop. “When I look at her posters for Artcrank, I feel the innocence and mischief of a kid on a bike with a pocketful of bottle rockets.”

Amy Jo handprints concert posters, festival teasers, portraits of crazed cats and, of course, images of a few vintage cruiser bicycles. They feature the stark colors of the retro style that we all love. The posters are accessible art, too, with prints costing less than the concert tickets they promote while offering a chic style that makes a statement.

“I love the way the old cruisers look,” she says.

Truth be told, it wasn’t until seeing Miss Amy Jo’s work and that of the few dozen others featured in Artcrank shows in Minneapolis and Denver (the show expanded to the Rockies in 2009), that it made sense that hand printed posters are a prefect match for cruiser bicycles. “There’s a simple, timeless beauty about cruiser bikes that makes them an ideal subject for poster artwork,” Youel says. “They capture the essence of cycling for pure enjoyment-it’s almost impossible not to smile when you see one.”

Given her fondness for cruiser bicycles, it’s a safe bet more retro two wheelers will find their way into more of her art. “Riding my bike makes me think of my childhood,” she says. “It’s just sort of the aesthetic I’m drawn to. I like to ride a bike that reflects my personality. My personality is not a 21-speed mountain bike.”

We’re always looking for folks spreading bicycle love through any medium, especially pieces of art we can hang in our office.

So it’s nice to see Artcrank: A poster party for bike people, become popular enough that it’s expanding from its Minneapolis roots in its third year. Kickstand Magazine’s hometown of Denver, Colorado, is now lucky enough to have a show of its own.

Now, we’re not so good at math, but it looks like the bike poster inspired show just doubled its exposure.

“I want everyone who comes to Artcrank to take home at least one piece of original artwork, ” says founder Charles Youel. “But more than anything, I want people to experience something fun, unique and a little unpredictable. That’s what riding a bike means to me, and all of the posters capture that.”

In all, 38 artists are participating, submitting seriously cool and unique posters promoting one simple concept: bikes are pretty sweet. And despite this being mostly geared toward the fixed gear crowd, we’re still happy because it’s just plan good for the bike community.

Feel free to ride your cruiser over to either of the shows. Or whatever bike suits you best, just get there early. Last year’s Artcrank show attracted more than 1,000 folks with a line spilling out into the streets of Minneapolis, the city with more bike commuters per capita than any other U.S. city. We can only hope more show up this time around.