- The Governor General of Canada
The contents of this Register are intended for research purposes only. The heraldic emblems found in the Register may not be reproduced in any form or in any media without the written consent of the Canadian Heraldic Authority and/or the recipient.
Art Gallery of Guelph
Guelph, Ontario
Confirmation of Arms
February 15, 2022
Vol. VIII, p. 74
Click on each image to enlarge. The blazon and symbolism for each element will accompany the enlarged image.
Blazon
Arms
Per pale dexter Or a fess chequy Azure and Argent between in chief a heart voided flanked by two cross-crosslets fitché Gules and in base a tobacco leaf erect proper all within a bordure Gules; sinister per fess Gules and Azure in chief a horse forcene Argent between two ancient crowns in bend sinister Or, in base a cross Gules fimbriated Argent cantoned in each quarter by five plates in saltire and within a bordure Argent charged with seven garbs Tenné;
Crest
A cubit arm proper vested per pale Gules and Vert cuffed chequy Azure and Argent, holding an artist’s brush in bend sinister Sable its ferrule Argent;
Motto
UT ARTES HONOREMUS;
Symbolism
Arms
The left side of the shield displays the arms of Colonel David Macdonald Stewart, President of the Macdonald Stewart Foundation, one of the primary financial initiators of the gallery. The chequered bar is a feature of Scottish Stewart arms, and the crosses are often found in Macdonald arms. The tobacco leaf represents the family’s company, Macdonald Tobacco Inc. of Montréal. The heart was the company’s emblem. The white horse on red is an element of the arms of the City of Guelph, which were themselves inspired by those of the Kingdom of Hanover, whose rulers descended from the house of Guelph. The coronets, also from the city’s arms, allude to its sobriquet of the “Royal City.” The bottom right of the shield depicts the arms of Wellington County, where Guelph is located. They are a differenced version of the arms of the county’s namesake, the Duke of Wellington, while the sheaves of grain evoke agriculture.
Crest
The brush symbolizes the arts. The sleeve’s cuff repeats the chequered pattern from the shield. Red and green represent caution and venture, two qualities sought in administrators of art galleries.
Motto
This Latin phrase, meaning “So that we may honour the arts,” summarizes the gallery’s objectives.
Background
Canada Gazette Information
The announcement of the Letters Patent was made on March 19, 2022, in Volume 156, page 5123 of the Canada Gazette.
Artist Information
Creator(s)
Not Available.
Painter
Court of the Lord Lyon, Edinburgh / Cour du roi d’armes Lord Lyon, Édimbourg
Calligrapher
* Not applicable / Sans objet
Recipient Information
Civil Institution
The recipient's emblems were originally recorded in the name of the Macdonald Stewart Community Art Centre on the 4th day of June 1996 in Volume III, page 111.