Ron Baird

Ron Baird was born in 1940 in Toronto, Ontario. As an artist, he trained at the Ontario College of Art.[2] He first became known for his architectural sculptures.[3] Baird largely uses the medium of stainless steel.[4] Over his career, Ron Baird has received more than three-hundred commissions for public installations.[5] Many of these pieces are found on boardwalks,[6] harbours,[4] and hospitals.[7][8]

In 1971 Baird erected the tallest steel sculpture in North America (at 33.5 metres) on Dufferin Street in Toronto.[9] That year he received the Allied Arts Award from the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada.[10] In 1978 he was named to the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts.[11][12]

Baird's work Spirit Catcher was created for the 1986 Expo in Vancouver. The sculpture consists of 20-tonnes of Corten-steel, and conveys the theme of reconciliation with Indigenous people. It currently sits on the waterfront in Barrie, Ontario. In 2018, he began a statue for the waterfront of Beaverton, Ontario, entitled Sky Woman.[5][13] Spirit Catcher[14] also has a sister sculpture named Sea Serpent on the Barrie waterfront.[15] In 2018, Baird was selected for the La Biennale di Venezia, and his work was exhibited that year in the Palazzo Bembo on Venice's Grand Canal.[16]