Spirit Catcher

At the base of Maple Street on the scenic waterfront sits Barrie's majestic landmark, the Spirit Catcher. Ron Baird was one of nine sculptors asked to submit proposals for EXPO '86 and he was one of the two sculptors chosen. The theme of EXPO '86 was transportation and communication. With this is mind the artist thought of his sculpture as spiritual antennae. The imagery of the Spirit Catcher was influenced by the west coast location and the Thunderbird of First Nations' mythology. The Thunderbird is a messenger who carries our dreams and desires to the Creator. The 20 tonne steel sculpture took six months to make and was originally installed at False Creek in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Once EXPO '86 ended, the sculpture was purchased by the Helen McCrea Peacock Foundation (Toronto) after months of negotiations. The Foundation donated the sculpture, in memory of Helen McCrea Peacock and Kenneth Westrup, to the "Barrie Gallery Project" as an inspiration to create an art gallery in the City of Barrie. The sculpture came to Barrie on 2 flatbed trucks and was installed with the assistance of several volunteers and two cranes. The installation took almost two full days on the weekend of June 12 and 13, 1987, and was dedicated on September 12, 1987. The Spirit Catcher is made of Corten steel, a steel that does not flake when it rusts, but instead retains its structural integrity. The artist has deliberately rusted the metal for aesthetic reasons. The sculpture measures 70 by 65 feet (21 metres high) and has 16 kinetic quills, 2 wings, 3 legs and a pair of kinetic antennae.

The City of Barrie provided the site at the base of Maple Street on the waterfront and continues to maintain the grounds. The site may have been a trading post on the Nine Mile Portage, although it is most likely landfill from the 1960's. Legend has it that First Nations traders were treated unfairly by the manager of the trading post and an elder cursed the site. On the day that the Spirit Catcher was dedicated, the site was blessed with the burning of sweet grass and a performance by the Rama Native Drum Group. The Spirit Catcher became the first work in the gallery’s Permanent Collection and is still the largest work. It was this important donation that got Barrie's first public art gallery off the ground. In 1988 the "Interim Gallery" opened at 17c Mulcaster Street in downtown Barrie. In 1991 it became the MacLarenArtCentre after Maurice MacLaren bequeathed his art collection and his home at 147 Toronto Street to the gallery. Over the next several years the collection grew with several donations. The Spirit Catcher is now a widely recognized icon for the City of Barrie.

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