LYNN — When local graphic designer and painter Emmanuelle Le Gal sees the city’s recently updated Northern Strand Community Trail and Community Path, she doesn’t just see a green space, a park, or a place to ride a bike — Le Gal sees a work of art.
Le Gal’s new collection “Art Inspired by the New Lynn Bike Path” at Galleries at LynnArts will premiere Thursday, Aug. 31, with an opening reception on Friday, Sept. 1 from 5:30 to 8 p.m.
The pop-up exhibit will feature 18 watercolor paintings of the approximately 10-mile bike path, which spans from Marsh View Park near the border with Saugus to the Bennett Street Bridge.
“The Lynn bike project is very close to my heart. I live right by it and have watched the evolution from old railroad tracks to gravel to a beautiful, paved path lined by daisies. I’ve seen how the trail has become an integral part of the city as a corridor bubbling with life and beauty,” Le Gal said.
The Lynn Cultural Council and Creative Cities both awarded Le Gal grants to paint the 18 pieces based on photos she took of the path and people traversing it.
Le Gal moved to Lynn from France 23 years ago and has since started her own fine arts studio, Emmanuelle Arts, and graphic-design company, Dreamworld Design.
For the collection, Le Gal said she chose to use watercolor and ink to portray candid moments on the path.
“I have a tendency to focus on detail. I wanted to focus on the moment of the thing that I saw in the past — I wanted to have a feeling of being more spontaneous to where I was, I wanted it to have more of a sketch-like feeling to it, so I used watercolor and ink,” Le Gal said.
The Northern Strand bike path’s opening in 2022, Le Gal said, aligned perfectly with the end of the pandemic. She said she was inspired by seeing the new path and groups of people who gathered to enjoy areas near it, such as the community garden or Marsh View Park.
One piece that will be featured at the exhibit is “The Sentries,” a watercolor and ink print that depicts two bald eagles standing guard over the trail as spectators watch. Two other pieces highlight Marsh View Park at sunrise.
“Even the Bennett Street Bridge — I mean, it’s falling apart, but there’s this texture of rust and there are trees coming out of it. To me, it’s beautiful. Maybe not to everyone, but to me it is,” Le Gal said.
In a description, Le Gal said her piece “Scooting by Daisies” depicts a moment she witnessed in the “urban jungle” part of the bike path.
“A father and his daughter cruise on their scooters through the bike path, gliding alongside endless daisies. When the timing is right, following the path feels like joining in a floral parade, where you’re one with the long procession of flowers,” Le Gal wrote.
The pop-up exhibit will be open Thursday, Aug. 31 from 1 to 4 p.m.; Friday, Sept. 1 from 5:30 to 8 p.m.; Saturday, Sept. 2 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Sunday, Sept. 3 from 1 to 4 p.m.
The second part of the exhibit will be an outdoor installation along the bike path from Sept. 9 through Sept. 25. Le Gal said she hopes her show will remind people how transformative public spaces can be.
“During the summer, the beginning of the bike path immerses you in the vibrant green of the surrounding salt marsh. On a sunny, summer day, it’s easy to forget the city is so nearby. Following the trail into Lynn, you will twist and turn through an urban jungle. At times, you’ll be met with a mural, a pop of color that snags your attention as you move along,” Le Gal said.
