Arts·Year in Review

What 2021 looked like through the eyes of our logo artists

See all the wonderful ways Canadian artists reimagined the CBC Arts logo this year.

See all the wonderful ways Canadian artists reimagined the CBC Arts logo this year

Clockwise from top left: CBC Arts logos by Elly MacKay, Anna Campbell, Hiné Mizushima, Ghazaleh Rastgar, Alex Sheriff and Erin McCluskey. (CBC Arts)

Time became completely imperceptible this year, so it was a good thing that we had already come up with a surefire way to at least keep track of what month it was. Each month we commissioned a different Canadian artist to put their own spin on the CBC Arts logo, and their incredible interpretations ranged from wood carvings to beadings, digital illustrations to paper-and-light creations. Even if looking back makes us think, "That was this year?!" and get a little dizzy, we'll always have these pieces to remind us that 2021 brought us some beautiful art.

January: Michelle Thevenot

Michelle Thevenot's CBC Arts logo for January 2021. (Michelle Thevenot)

Watch chainsaw artist Michelle Thevenot carve January's CBC Arts logo out of wood. The results are chickadee-dee-delightful! See more.

February: Yung Yemi

Yung Yemi's CBC Arts logo for February 2021. (Yung Yemi)

What is the future of Blackness? Yung Yemi tells us about his original artwork for the anthology series 21 Black Futures. See more.

March: Sacha Stephan

Sacha Stephan's CBC Arts logo for March 2021. (Sacha Stephan)

How do you mark the anniversary of a global pandemic? Our March logo by illustrator Sacha Stephan took a jab at it. See more.

April: Erin McCluskey

Erin McCluskey's CBC Arts logo for April 2021. (Erin McCluskey)

How's this for a sign of spring? Erin McCluskey delivered one gem of a bouquet for our April logo. See more.

May: Alex Sheriff

Alex Sheriff's CBC Arts logo for May 2021. (Alex Sheriff)

Alex Sheriff gave the CBC gem a '90s retro makeover for May — complete with a cosmic short film. See more.

June: Sarah Hannon

Sarah Hannon's CBC Arts logo for June 2021. (Sarah Hannon)

Beading connected artist Sarah Hannon with their Mi'kmaw culture and "Indigenous people all over the world." They beaded together Indigenous History and Pride for June's logo. See more.

July: Lenny Gallant

Lenny Gallant's CBC Arts logo for July 2021. (Lenny Gallant)

"Wood" you believe this CBC-inspired art used to be a kitchen table? Made of reclaimed timber, it's a tribute to childhood memories and artist Lenny Gallant's time out west. See more.

August: Yazmin Monet Butcher

Yazmin Monet Butcher's CBC Arts logo for August 2021. (Yazmin Monet Butcher)

Yazmin Monet Butcher paid tribute to the sweetest (and stickiest) of seasons for an August logo packed with Vitamin CBC. See more.

September: Hiné Mizushima

Hiné Mizushima's CBC Arts logo for September 2021. (Hiné Mizushima)

Sea creatures or CBC creatures? Whatever they are, they're adorable. Fibre artist Hiné Mizushima went with an undersea theme for our September logo. See more.

October: Ghazaleh Rastgar

Ghazaleh Rastgar's CBC Arts logo for October 2021. (Ghazaleh Rastgar)

Ghazaleh Rastgar's design for Women's History Month celebrates the goddess she believes every woman is. See more.

November: Anna Campbell

Anna Campbell's CBC Arts logo for November 2021. (Anna Campbell)

Anna Campbell aimed to capture the complexity of being trans, which they call "like living in a kaleidoscope," for our Transgender Awareness Month logo. See more.

December: Elly MacKay

Elly MacKay's CBC Arts logo for December 2021. (Elly MacKay)

Leap into winter! Artist Elly MacKay made this charming December logo using paper and light. See more.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Eleanor Knowles was a digital producer at CBC Arts from 2016 to 2023. She is the creator of the CBC Arts logo project, which commissions original artwork from a new Canadian artist every month.

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