Louis Garneau's name is synonymous with cycling thanks to his time on the track and road as a National Champion and Olympic cyclist and, perhaps to an even greater extent, his eponymous apparel brand. Many people don't know that Louis Garneau is also an accomplished artist and uses his paintings to support several cycling-related causes.
Most recently, Garneau has stepped up to support Whirlwind, a movie project spotlighting cycling's first Black World Champion and one of the world's first Black sports superstars: Marshall "Major" Taylor. He's painted 100 art pieces to help make the documentary come alive.
"I tried to use my talent to the maximum to help people," Garneau tells Cycling Weekly. And this project serves as a chance to increase the awareness of one of cycling's first superstars while also sharing a powerful story of someone who overcame the odds to achieve great things.
A Whirlwind of Activity
In March, Garneau first became aware of the Whirlwind film project and thought, "I can help." After meeting with Whirlwind filmmaker Cyrille Vincent, in Worcester, Massachusetts (Major Taylor's adopted hometown), Garneau offered his support. Based on prior experience using his creative side to raise money, Garneau proposed a $1 million fundraising project in which he will create 100 paintings inspired by Major Taylor, offered at $10,000 apiece.
Impressively, Garneau produced most of the 100 prints over a single 24-hour artistic performance in his warehouse —painting throughout the day and night while still making time to sleep and ride his bike. He did some motor pacing during the artistic process to "feel Major Taylor's soul and energy, the Canadian says.
"I want to express myself through a series of paintings in order to discover the limits of my creativity. As in sports, each painting is altered by the series, the repetition, the energy, and the fatigue, creating stronger and more fragile images."
Each painting is unique. However, all 100 prints are based on the same 36x36 digital image of Major Taylor. The American flag is also a theme throughout the series of paintings, with stars and stripes adorning many of the pieces. All proceeds raised through the sale of the paintings will go to the film.
Garneau says of the process, "It's like a bike race, you can't predict how it will end at the beginning."
That said, the fundraising project is proving to be a puncheur, accelerating up the steep climb to their fundraising goal. The first print in the series has already been sold to the National Bank of Canada and a selection of 25 pieces from the collections are scheduled to be shown in an exhibition titled Resilience at the Worcester Center for Crafts from June 27 to July 5. Garneau is planning to attend the exhibition's opening night.
Louis Garneau, the artiste
Art has long been a passion of Louis Garneau, he holds a bachelor's degree in art from Laval University and often uses his art to aid programs dear to his heart.
In the past, Garneau donated 12 paintings to the Musée National des Beaux-arts du Québec as part of a fundraising campaign for the museum. He also created a series of prints in support of the Rwandan national cycling team, which he titled Hope, that raised $80,000 for use in organizing training camps and enabling junior athletes, Rwandan women, Ethiopians, and Eritreans to participate in cycling.
Louis Garneau said of the Rwandan team, "I am filled with admiration for these young men who lived the atrocities of the genocide and who, refusing to be taken down, chose to keep living, opting to compete in one of the most demanding sports there is."
In addition to his philanthropic efforts, Garneau's paintings have hung everywhere from museums and exhibits to businesses like Mellow Johnny's, the Austin, Texas, bike shop owned by Lance Armstrong. Like many others at the peak of Armstrong's dominance, Louis Garneau was inspired by his story of coming back from cancer to win the Tour de France seven times and sent him a print, which Armstrong hung in the store.
For those familiar with Major Taylor's story, it's easy to see a common thread of what inspires Louis Garneau: grit, determination, perseverance, and the power of sport. For those who don't know the story of Major Taylor, it highlights the importance of sharing his story.
Racing ahead
Garneau's passion for Major Taylor is palpable; when speaking with him, you feel the energy and regard he has for both the man and the film." This guy is my idol. He was a real person. A real human with high and low points in his life," Garneau says of Major Taylor.
Major Taylor's story is one of defying the odds, overcoming obstacles and paving the way for future generations. In many ways, he even laid the foundation for the cycling industry of today.
"People don't know too much about Major Taylor, but need to learn his story," Garneau tells Cycling Weekly. During Major Taylor's time, "everyone was interested to see the fastest man in the world on a bicycle…cycling was very, very popular. Major Taylor was at the beginning of our industry. He was a champion and a famous man, but he had problems because he was a Black man.. but he never gave up and continued to race."
The cycling industry may be a competitive one, but there's a shared love of cycling and respect for those that preceded them, Garneau points out, hopeful that the Whirlwind film will raise the funds it needs to be completed.
Whirlwind, the film
Whirlwind is a planned documentary directed by Cyrille Vincent. Unlike traditional documentaries, which rely on interviews, archives, and narration to tell Major Taylor's story, Vincent intends for his film to include recreated scenes. According to Vincent, recreation is a more compelling cinematic language and will attract a more diverse audience. Vincent wants "millions of people to see this [film] and get inspired." Vincent also wants his film to "convey the speed, movement, technique, and strategy" of bike racing.
The downside of recreation, according to Vincent, is that "it's a lot of time and a lot of work. You have to dive into the smallest details of everything you're going to show on screen." He goes on, "The recreation gets expensive; there's acting, costumes, CGI, and editing."
Late in 2022, Vincent released a two-minute trailer for the film as a fundraising effort but still has a long way to go. He's hoping to raise $1.25 million to make the movie and the sale of Louis Garneau's 100 paintings will be a huge step toward getting the movie produced.
