The Madonna of the Wheat

Artist: John Weaver | Material: Bronze | Date: 1981 | Location: Outside of City Hall, #1 Sir Winston Churchill Square

Each spring Edmonton hosts the Edmonton Woman’s Show — a popular weekend trade show and celebration of all things female. With that in mind, we thought it fitting to feature one of Edmonton’s many exceptional statuesque ladies in the city, The Madonna of the Wheat.

Erected in commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the Province of Alberta, the Alberta Branches of the Ukrainian Women’s Association of Canada presented the aforementioned statue of a young pioneer woman to the City of Edmonton in 1981, dedicating it to all the pioneer women of Alberta.

Former Edmontonian and world-renowned Canadian sculptor John Weaver created the work and, as always, cast his own unique take on it. “This young woman cradles the wheat in her arms as though it were a child,” he said. “She feels the earth beneath her feet and turns her face to the warm sun. Without words, she is giving thanks for the miracle of the wheat.”