by Sandra Neill, Director at Large, CHCA
The Crescent Heights Community Association (CHCA) is thrilled to announce that with funding from the City of Calgary’s Parking Reinvestment Fund, three artists are collaborating on a mural on the sidewalk and retaining wall along Centre St from Samis Road to 7 Ave NE. As I write this article, the artists are busy working out the logistics to paint, and if all goes well with weather, the mural will be completed when you read this article.
In the summer of 2019, the CHCA had an engagement session with residents about this area and interviewed pedestrians. This hilly climb up to Crescent Heights was described as a long and boring walk (perceived to take 15 to 20 minutes when it is about 7 minutes), loud and hectic with cars speeding by, claustrophobic (pedestrians and cyclists navigate around as this is the only sidewalk), and unsafe (there are no “eyes” on the street since there are no businesses or residences along here). When asked what might change the perception of this space, residents overwhelmingly replied “colour, art, something to look at”. Through this engagement, the vision for this space took on the moniker “Magic Walk,” and the existing space (as of Aug 2020) was referred to some as the “Walk of Doom.”
In late July, artists Sydonne Warren, Tyler Lemermeyer, and Cory Bugden, were selected by a jury of five people (all who either work or live in Crescent Heights and two of them artists themselves). In early August there was an engagement session on Zoom where residentscontributed some of their ideas for the project and gave feedback on the artist’s initial “mood boards.” The design incorporated many of the ideas and values of the residents including representing the diversity in the community and including neighbourhood aspects from dogs to the telegraph pole. We very much appreciated the consultation with the Calgary Chinese Community Service Association, Chinese Cultural Centre, and Elder Herman Yellow Old Woman on some of the elements in the mural. We were happy to get approval from Everett Klippert’s family to use his portrait – you will see him next to the lion in the mural. Klippert was a catalyst for change towards the decriminalization of homosexual acts between consenting adults and lived in Crescent Heights as a teenager. We hope you will find the mosaic of our community in this mural and you might even recognize some of the faces (residents sent in photos for the portraits).
Let’s meet the artists who are transforming the Walk of Doom into the Magic Walk:
Cory Bugden is a Canadian illustrator based out of Calgary. Originally a graphic designer for an agency that served clients like Oakley, Speedo, and Red Bull, Cory decided to further his artistic capabilities at the Alberta University of the Arts (AU Arts) in 2016, completing his degree in 2020. Cory uses bright colours with a fun and whimsical illustration style that can force a smile on anyone’s face. When he grows up, Cory wants to be a studio-owner, creative director, children’s book illustrator, and amateur freestyle rapper. Cory is bringing colour and fun to this project.
Tyler Lemermeyer lives and works out of Calgary, where he received a B.F.A from AU Arts and Diploma from the Vancouver Film School. Tyler has successfully worked on a variety of different projects whose clients include (Honda, New Jersey Devils, BRON, NFB, Tourism France, YYCBUMP) where he used his skills as an animator, illustrator and most recently a muralist. Tyler specializes in working with agencies to create branded illustrated content but his favourite line of work is creating large scale murals. Tyler limits his palette to create bold, vibrant and eye-catching graphics that aim to find the perfect balance between realism and abstraction. Tyler has incorporated elements that are unique to Crescent Heights and has use bold, energizing colours, and abstract patterns and shapes to transform the space from drab to fab.
Sydonne (“Syd”) Warren is a Calgary based visual artist who began her self-taught art journey in 2013. Sydonne has developed into a professional artist, instructor and designer and finally a student at AU Arts. Her artwork showcases a combination of high contrasted subjects, bold but straightforward colour palettes, and a mixture of expressive strokes, drips and rigid lines. Sydonne’s themes are usually a reflection of herself and her desire for people of the African diaspora not only to occupy but impact and own space. Syd brings her perspective as a former immigrant who has been immersed in Calgary for most of her life and has witnessed the crossover and collisions of the various cultures that coexists in the city. Sydonne has brought portraits and architectural elements reflecting the diversity in Crescent Heights as well as some playful interactive components to the mural.
Stay tuned for a video about the project by James Reckseidler, Crescent Heights resident and filmmaker!
