Meet the Team Series - Judy Armstrong

Summer 2021 Edition

August 3, 2021

Dear Friends and supporters of Pro Coro Canada

I hope you had the opportunity to enjoy the long August weekend. For myself, this weekend often corresponds with August 1, Swiss National Day! It provides an opportunity to put on my Sennechutteli (shepherd blouse with Edelweiss), listen to traditional music like Jodelling, and prepare a generous supper with Röschti (potatoes grated and fried in butter, similar to hashbrown), Bratwurst and of course some cheeses.

Interestingly, there are several members of Pro Coro with Swiss roots, and it is nice to share our heritage.

Meet the Team: today we’re introducing our long-time graphic designer Judy Armstrong. You all have experienced her work through posters, program covers, social media images and our easily-recognizable logo which she created 10 years ago. Her ability to capture the season, the musical themes and the history of our choir is a fantastic contribution to our visual presence. Collaborating with her students on assignments, which then lead to visual representations of our music, is a great addition to the partnership.

I hope you enjoy our Meet the Team series, with my best wishes,

Michael Zaugg, Managing and Artistic Director

Meet the Team: Judy Armstrong

Judy Armstrong
Pro Coro Canada’s Graphic Designer

Design Practice and Academic Teaching

Judy Armstrong (MDES University of Alberta) works as a freelance graphic designer and contract academic instructor at the University of Alberta in the Department of Visual Communication Design. In 2012 she was contracted by Pro Coro to design a new logo and Visual Identity System for the choir and has been working with them ever since. As part of her academic teaching, Judy is very pleased to have had the opportunity to collaborate with Pro Coro Canada and Michael Zaugg on projects with her design students at the University of Alberta over the years.

Art Practice

Along with working as a freelance designer and contract academic instructor, Judy continues to work on her personal art practice.

Edmonton City Hall Commission

Two mural sized electronic collages printed on 4 x 6 ft. sheets of plexi glass. The collages are based on images representing the historical and present day architecture of Edmonton’s city hall buildings. The murals were chosen as part of a citywide call for entries for artwork for the new city hall building. They can be viewed on the 3rd floor of Edmonton’s City Hall.

Costume Design for Film Le Castle Papier

Judy’s interest in clothing design and studies during her undergraduate degree lead her to a contract as costumer designer on location at Aldourie Castle in Scotland on the feature film le Castle Paper; a multi-layered fairy-tale set in a rich and bountiful place, where a non-specific natural disaster has occurred. Judy designed six dresses for the Leaf Dance, choreographed by Stacey Tookey, which took place in the Great Hall in Aldourie Castle. Five thousand real maple leaves and sugar gum leaves were shipped to Aldourie Castle in advance of her arrival in Scotland for on-site construction of the dresses.

Edmonton Design Week, Mrs Eaves

An installation created for Edmonton Design Week, Mrs Eaves, is a wedding dress featuring digital surface design based on the typefaces Baskerville (John Baskerville, 1750) and Mrs. Eaves (Zuzano Licko, 1996). The installation honours the life and work of Sarah Eaves an inspirational wife, mother and contributor to the history of typography during the 18th century.

What is your favourite book?
Just My Type, a book about fonts, Simon Garfield
Along with many interesting stories about type, I learned of the story about the typeface Mrs. Eaves. This was the inspiration for an installation I created for Edmonton Design Week--A wedding dress honouring the life and work of Sarah Eaves
What is your favourite movie?|
Legally Blond – I love Reese Witherspoon in this feature
Close second is Moulin Rouge – for the costumes and dance, and of course Nicole Kidman!
Cilantro: yes or no?
I love that my husband Fraser loves it . . . and yes!
Cottage in the Alps, or cottage on the beach?
Depends on the season!
What is your most memorable choral experience?
Pro Coro’s performance of The Little Match Girl Passion
After Michael Zaugg’s guest lecture on the LMGP, students in my design class at the University of Alberta, explored the sounds, patterns and tone using expressive typography. Witnessing the piece live after this experience is for sure my most memorable choral experience!

Summer 2021 Edition

Meet the Team: Judy Armstrong

Mark Your Calendars!

Pro Coro Canada’s 2021-2022 Concert Season will be released on August 15!

Pro Coro Canada’s
2021-2022 Concert Season
will be released on August 15!