Athena Park Explained

Athena Park
Native Name:Parc Athéna
Native Name Lang:fr
Map:Canada Montreal
Location:Park Extension, Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Coords:45.5278°N -73.6243°W
Operator:City of Montreal
Open:6:00 a.m to 11:00 p.m.
Status:Open all year
Publictransit:STM Métro

Parc
STM Bus: 16, 92, 179

Athena Park (French: Parc Athéna) is a small park in the Park Extension neighborhood of the Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension borough of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It occupies a quadrilateral bounded by Jean Talon Street, Bloomfield Street, de l'Épée Avenue, and Greenshields Street. It was named in honor of the ancient Greek goddess Athena, by the City of Montreal in 1986.[1]

Art

Athéna

Athéna
Artist:Spyros Gokakis
Year:1997
Completion Date:1997
Medium:Sculpture
Subject:Ancient Greek goddess Athena
Height Metric:310
Width Metric:100
Length Metric:100
Dimensions Ref:[2]
Metric Unit:cm
City:Park Extension, Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Owner:City of Montreal
Accession:1 March 2000

In 2000, Athéna, a reproduction of a statue of the ancient Greek goddess of art and wisdom Athena, was installed in the center of the park "in homage to the Greek immigrants who came to settle in Canada and in particular in the district". It was created by the sculptor Spyros Gokakis, using an iron cast in the cire perdue method. It was presented as a gift to Montreal by the mayor of Athens, on the occasion of the celebration of independence of Greece, to underline the friendship ties that link the two cities.

The sculpture has Athena dressed in a draped robe and an aegis ornamented with serpents. Her right hand is extended in front of her, the palm turned upward. Her traditional Corinthian helmet is tipped back on her head, revealing her face.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: fr. Parc Athéna. GrandQuébec.com. 17 November 2020.
  2. Web site: Athéna. Art Public Montréal. 9 December 2020.