Outside of the Michigan city of Saginaw – a 65 mile trip north from Flint – lies the town of Midland. There in that village is a landmark cultural destination known very well throughout the region, the Midland Center for the Arts.
The Center hosts performances and exhibitions from around the globe and even manages several other venues hosting events sponsored by the Center. Starting from 15 January 2011, a special motorcycle event will begin which will bring Italophiles from all over to Michigan for their viewing pleasure, they call it “MV Agusta: Art, Design and Function.”
The show will have displays chronicling MV Agusta’s history from its early years as post-WWII basic transport, though their Grand Prix domination, all the way up to today’s road-burning supersport machines; every year of production will be covered. Gary Kohs will be providing over 75 rare, vintage and historic models of MV Agustas from his extensive personal collection.
Included among that group is the very rare 500 triple which is often
considered one of the most important motorcycles ever built and raced. Some say that the three-cylinder 500 (though the machines actually had anywhere from 380 to 500cc) helped MV keep Honda from dominating the Blue Riband 500cc Grand Prix series in the late ‘60s.
As part of the Italian theme, Italian car photographs by Michael Furman and Italian master drawings from Northwood University’s world-famous Tamassy Collection, which features the work of Bernini, Carracci, Guardi and Raphael, will also be on display.
On the first day of the exhibit a special reception will be held from 7 until 9:30PM, and will feature Italian food and music. Tickets to that event range from $35, in advance, to $40 at the door. “MV Agusta: Art, Design and Function” will be open from 10AM to 4PM Wednesday through Saturday, 10AM to 8PM Thursday and 1 to 5PM on Sunday. You can view this exceptional collection for a paltry $8 for adults, $5 for children. Hope you can attend!
