Spirit of Sail - Kelowna, British Columbia
Posted by: 
wildwoodke
N 49° 53.180 W 119° 29.960
11U E 320467 N 5528988
"The Sails" or the "Spirit of Sail" is located on the waterfront in Kelowna, British Columbia.
Waymark Code: WMBDV1
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Date Posted: 05/10/2011
Views: 7
The Work
This iconic fiberglass sculpture by well-known local sculptor, Robert Dow Reid has become a symbol for the city and is prominently featured in many tourism publications.
'Spirit of Sail' (also known locally as 'The Sails') is 12 metres (40 feet) high, and weighs approximately 1820 kilograms (4000 pounds).
The Artist
Robert Dow Reid was born in Scotland and has always drawn inspiration from the sea and aquatic life. His grandfather was a sea captain, and the artist himself travelled the seas on whaling vessels in the 1940s and 1950s.
He met his wife, Isobel in 1956, and they immigrated to Canada in 1958. The artist and his family have lived in Kelowna since 1964.
Reid has created two iconic, large-scale works in Kelowna: the well-known 'Spirit of Sail' at the foot of Bernard Avenue in Kelowna, and 'Rhapsody' in the fountain at the Rhapodsy Plaza. He has also completed other large scale sculptural installations in Vancouver, Surrey, Regina and Kasugai, Japan.
Reid also works on a much smaller scale in rare and luxurious materials such as antique ivory, teak and honey onyx. His creations are in collections worldwide, including those of Queen Elizabeth II and King Hussein of Jordan.
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