Last week, Know History sponsored the RBC Bluesfest and had the opportunity to share a video on the big screen during the performance by Mumford and Sons! We were honoured to share the work of one of our favorite designers Mark Rutledge CDP RGD! Mark is a proud Ojibwa from the Little Grand Rapids First Nation who lives and works in Whitehorse. He is the former President of Design Professionals of Canada, an accomplished designer with over 30 years of experience.

As Mark explains, the Bluesfest design features a turtle to represent Turtle Island (or Mother Earth). The trees growing from the turtle’s back acknowledge and pay respect to the land. The lunar cycle and the binary relationship between day and night feature heavily in the design: the sun, shown prominently in the centre, is balanced by the 13 sections of the turtle’s shell, which align with the 13 full moons. Finally, the line connecting these elements shows how everything is inherently connected to one another.

Mark joined us in Ottawa for the celebration, and what an amazing sight it was to see the beautiful design brought to life on the big screen!