Spirit of Sail

The Work

This iconic fibreglass sculpture by well-known local sculptor, Robert Dow Reid has become a symbol for the city and is prominently featured in many tourism publications. Known locally as simply The Sails, the work is 12m high, and weighs approximately 1,820 kilograms.

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 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 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 that of Queen Elizabeth II. The other work by Dow Reid in the City’s Public Art Collection is Rhapsody.

Viewing

Spirit of Sail is located at the west end of Bernard Avenue adjacent to the north entrance to City Park.