Artist Roy Lumagbas stands beside his public art bicycle racks Wednesday.
Centretown residents filled Café Suprême on Bank Street Wednesday night for the unveiling of the public art bicycle racks, which now line the street’s newly renovated sidewalks.
Roy Lumagbas’ bicycle rack artwork was one of the 30 winning designs chosen to be displayed on Bank Street.
His artwork depicts a lock and key, representing an important accessory to have when leaving your bicycle around town.
Lumagbas said his design is a take on humanity and technology coming together.
The key in his stencil symbolizes a person’s head and the ability to think, which is the most notable element of his art, said Lumagbas.
“While cycling or any activity, for that matter, surely involves more than just the head or brain, it, being the centre for cognition and with it responsibility, plays a central role for security, sensibility and of course fun,” said Lumagbas.
The café crowd, of more than 30, cheered as his work was revealed with the help of Somerset Coun. Diane Holmes, artist Howie Tsui, former president of Citizens for Safe Cycling Charles Akben-Marchand, and Glenn Crawford from the Bank Street public design committee, who all had a hand in pulling the curtain off the bike rack.
“We want to make sure that we get the word out that cyclists are really welcome on Bank Street,” said Holmes.
“We want people to come shop, eat and leave their bikes here as they go around. In fact, as I was on my way here looking at the bike racks, most of them are covered in bikes and that’s exactly what we want.”