Artist's Statement:
"Montreal is an island city with a mountain as its
geographic focal point. The blue in the logo represents the water of the St.
Lawrence River, and green represents the verdant mountain.
The "ceinture fléchée" (or scarf) refers to the
cold winters, the French voyageurs, the Patriotes of 1837, and today the
revelry in winter carnivals. The beaded "two-row wampum" refers to the fur
trade, agreements and exchanges between Aboriginal peoples and European
settlers, and the continuing relationships between the Mohawks of Kahnawake
and Montreal's ethno-culturally diverse non-indigenous population. The two
symbols evoke the historical and contemporary human territory of Montreal's
physical "place."
Figuratively, the logo is in the shape of a cross,
reflecting both the blue "bourbon" flag of Quebec, and the red "St. George's"
cross found on the flag of the City of Montreal.
Finally, the logo has always looked a bit
anthropomorphic to me, as if someone were striding forward earnestly with a
scarf flapping in the wind."
***
Shelley Freeman, artist, was born in Quebec and
has been working in Montreal since 1979.