Walk by our front doors at Hotel Arts and you’ll notice a colourful new addition to our urban landscape. Tyler Lemermeyer just completed work on a bike-themed mural on the walls of Hotel Arts and Forman’s Menswear on 12th Avenue SW.
Tyler’s work of art was one in a series of 13 murals that have popped up over the summer in the Beltline District as part of the Beltline Urban Mural Project (#YYCBump) – an initiative to showcase art, promote tourism and local businesses, improve the public realm and build community spirit in Calgary’s Beltline neighbourhoods. BUMP funds the installation of murals throughout the community on buildings in locations that are visible, eye-grabbing or otherwise currently unattractive or forgettable. BUMP is organized and run by the Beltline Neighbourhoods Association, with funding provided by various project sponsors including Hotel Arts.
Lemermeyer named his mural “No More Despair” influenced by the H.G. Wells’ quote: “Every time I see an adult on a bicycle, I no longer despair for the future of the human race.” Evidently, Wells was a cyclist.
And so is Tyler Lemermeyer who worked for many years as a bike courier while plying his craft as an artist. Tyler received his BFA from Alberta College of Art and Design (ACAD) and then a Diploma at the Digital Design Program at Vancouver Film School before moving back to Calgary to work as an illustrator and designer. As an illustrator, his works are featured extensively including Avenue Magazine’s Best Neighbourhood edition.
His works also pop up in surprising areas like his YYC Tea Towels commissioned for Fine Mesh and sold on their online store.
“Our team at Hotel Arts is excited that Tyler was interested in using our venue as a canvas for his art as we’ve long been advocates for Calgary’s growing bike culture as well as supporting local artists,” remarked Fraser Abbott, Director of Business Development at Hotel Arts. “Several years ago, we launched our own fleet of bikes for our guests to use and have long encouraged visitors and Calgarians alike to explore our city by bike. Tyler’s mural is another great visual prompt to get us out pedaling. It’s also going to be an amazing backdrop for Instagram selfies.”
We invite you to hop on one of our bikes to go and visit the other murals that were part of Beltline Urban Murals Project. Learn more about the artists, their murals and their locations throughout the Beltline here: http://yycbump.ca/
Learn more about Tyler and his work here: http://lemermeyer.com/. And if you take a selfie with “No More Despair” as your backdrop, please include Tyler in your post with @lemermeyer_ , #lemermeyer , and #yycbump.
