Inside Lyle’s Head

Inside Lyle’s Head hung for years at Dad Watson’s in Seattle. When the pub closed in 2011, the painting went into storage and waited for a new home to reveal itself. In 2015, a newly renovated Anderson School opened in Bothell, Washington, and the new home emerged in the form of Erma Olin’s Room. 
 
Lyle Hehn amazed and befuddled customers and employees for decades with ingenious, clever, thought-provoking, convoluted, and stunning artwork that he displayed on panels, murals, pipe-elbows, electrical panels, exit signs, and just about anywhere that grabbed his attention. His tenure at McMenamins began in 1988 when he was hired to paint a sign on a door at the Fulton Pub. He went on to pour his creative energy into artwork at all our pubs and properties for 34 years, as well as creating logos, labels, signs, symbols, and even a typeface for the company. He left an indelible impression on the people and places that make up McMenamins before his passing in 2022. 
 
Spend a few moments examining what is going on inside Lyle’s head. If you are familiar with his work throughout the company, see how many styles, forms, logos, landmarks and motifs you can find Inside Lyle’s Head. If you aren’t, take note of the images here, and you will be able to see them all around you at McMenamins.  
 
From artist Jenny Joyce in 2015: 
 
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Find more of Lyle Hehn’s work everywhere you look at McMenamins, and read more about him here.