Your Ultimate Guide to the BUMP Murals

The mural: You’ll find it on the side of the building that houses Velour Clothing Exchange, Earth Gems and Tubby Dog on 17th Avenue S.W. Nasarimba (visual artists Mikhail Miller and Rachel Ziriada) is an artistic duo based in Calgary. The mural is a painted version of their artistic practice, which involves cutting out abstract shapes of paper and piecing them together intuitively into a collage. This was part of a series of murals they painted over the last year that experiments with primary colours. Because it’s located in a parking lot and cars could be in your view, the artists suggest framing smaller portions “to explore endless abstract compositions and colour combinations.”

The mural: This two-part mural created by Edmonton muralist Jill Stanton was the first BUMP mural to be completed in 2017. She’s painted 24 murals across Canada within the last two years and she always takes inspiration from the surrounding community, evident by the appropriate Cowtown cowboy boots on the outside of the shoe store. This mural is entitled “Pardners.”

The mural: This mural of a singing Blackfoot man located outside 17th Avenue Framing was the first BUMP mural created by an Indigenous artist. Calgary’s Kalum Teke Dan is best known for his portraiture that reflects his Southern Albertan heritage and the spirit of his people. The piece was created in collaboration with Colouring It Forward, a local organization that promotes healing and reconciliation through art.

The mural: The inspiration for this abstract pattern painting came from many things, including color theory, geometric designs and quilt-making. Calgary artists Shane Arsenault and Rhys Farrell, who met at ACAD, say their goal with this mural was to brighten up the neighbourhood and bring positivity to the community. They recommend going on a Sunday when the camera store is closed so that the parking lot is clear. They recommend standing in the middle for the photo so that you are completely surrounded by the shapes. Wearing matching or contrasting colours will make you stand out against the bright wall.

The mural: Calgary artist Katie Green says her intention for her work is to leave a sense of playfulness, magic and mystery. The inspiration for the mural came from the wall itself. She explains that when she went to take a look at the site, she noticed a pigeon nesting in a large hole where a vent used to be. The creature with the fish coming out of its mouth (which Green says is her favourite part) is a depiction of a small ceramic piece she once made and she was curious what it would be like in 2-D.

The mural: The title of this mural is “Bee Together”. Artist Natalie Nehlawi— who is from Kanata, Ont., and is a first-generation Canadian from Syrian parents — says she painted a swarm of bees in flight to symbolize their strength and fight for survival. She intentionally uses unnatural colours to add to the beauty of the bees. Since it is a long mural, the artist suggests taking a photo from an angle so that you can capture the wings.

The mural: This mural entitled “Milk” by Calgary-based muralist and illustrator Nicole Wolf was inspired by a spiritual experience she had where she saw a large raven on her shoulder. In the Metis tradition, the presence of a raven symbolizes being able to hear from the Creator. Wolf says she chose colours and shapes that she hopes emit feelings of peace and comfort. To get a great photo, she suggests sitting on the stairs on the left to wrap yourself into the mural or taking the photo from across the street to capture the entire piece.

The mural: You can find this mural entitled “Beyond Your Limits” on the outside of The Bike Shop. Artist Ilana Pichon is based in Quebec City and has a master’s degree in architecture. When painting this piece, she chose shapes, patterns and colours that integrated well with the wall’s architecture. The mural represents going outside your boundaries, which is why she painted literal boundaries here with the map of the Beltline, mountains and rivers. There are also five bike patterns painted into the mountains — the bike, handle bars, the seat, chain wheel and pedals. She recommends taking a photo from across the street to capture the entire mural, but then getting up close to look at the graphic patterns.

The mural: This is by far the tallest of the BUMP murals. It’s painted on the outside of a condo building. The artist, Faith47, is from Cape Town, South Africa, and she currently lives in Los Angeles. She is an internationally acclaimed muralist who began as a graphic designer when she was just 19 years old. She’s painted murals across the world in Canada, Europe, Africa, Australia, China, the United States and more. It’s best to take a photo of this mural from an angle to capture its entire length.

The mural: Calgary illustrator Tyler Lemermeyer was a bike messenger for eight years early on in his career and is still a passionate cyclist. The mural is entitled “No More Despair” and was borrowed from a quote by British writer H.G. Wells: “Every time I see an adult on a bicycle, I no longer despair for the human race.” He says he hopes the piece shows people that public art and bikes are becoming a part of Calgary’s culture. For a great photo, he suggests standing in the corner a few steps away from the wall.