We worked with a fantastically talented deisgner; Christine Majer. Through word mapping, she was drawn to the idea of a bear as the bear is a natural part of the landscape in the Golden area. The cultural significance of the bear is deeply rooted in numerous civilizations across the globe. In many Indigenous cultures, bears are revered as powerful and sacred beings, symbolizing qualities such as strength, courage, protection and wisdom.
In Norse Myths the Bear is portrayed as Odin’s animal companion to the Chief God. A symbol of courage and the warrior spirit. The bear is also associated with the Norse goddess of love and fertility emphasizing its importance in the cycle of life.
The bear’s cultural & mythological significance varies across different societies, but it consistently represents a connection to nature, strength, and mysteries of the spiritual realm, making it a revered and multifaceted symbol throughout history. Most of these cultural elements were then depicted in the design of the bear’s face:
Growth – represented by Coffee leaves and budding coffee beans. The leaves become the ears of the bear. Roots extend from the ground and move up to create the outer frame of the bear / ears / head. As this moves below ground, the appearance is a simplified root but also represents the pitch fork and a feeling of harvest / farming, which we hope to grow into at some point. To make the lower frame of the bear head are seeds / could be coffee beans or simply put, seeds – referencing deep roots / growth / growth cycles.
The three mountains are a nod to the North Bench (rural area North of Golden), but also to mountainous regions that the beans will be sourced from. Within the ground line, we have what makes up the face of the bear. The eyes are graphic reference to the coffee beans. The Moon sits at the top part of the bear head. This is a representation of the sun or moon which identifies the notion of cycles.
North Bench Harvest Coffee Roasters 