The Spirit Catcher
About the Spirit Catcher
The Spirit Catcher has been
After the end of EXPO ’86, the sculpture was purchased by the Helen McCrea Peacock Foundation and donated to the Barrie Gallery Project in memory of Helen McCrea Peacock and Kenneth Westrup. The Barrie Gallery Project was renamed the MacLaren Art Centre in 1991, and the Spirit Catcher was the first artwork to enter the MacLaren’s Permanent Collection. The installation took place over the course of two days in June 1987 and was dedicated in September of that year.
Ron Baird (RCA) is a Canadian artist, based out of Beaverton, Ontario. He is best known for his large-scale, site-specific sculptural installations. Many are kinetic or respond in some way to their environmental conditions. Baird is the recipient of numerous honours, including Allied Arts Awards from the Royal Architectural Society of Canada and the Ontario Society of Architects. He has worked throughout Canada and has undertaken residencies in Ireland and Nicaragua. Other publicly sited works by Baird in Barrie include the Sea Serpent (1986) on Barrie’s

Ron Baird, Spirit Catcher, 1986, Corten steel, 21.3 m high. Collection of the MacLaren Art Centre. Gift of the Helen McCrea Peacock Foundation, 1987. Photo: Joseph Hartman, 2013
Repairs to the Spirit Catcher
Every year, the MacLaren undertakes routine maintenance and review of the Spirit Catcher. In June 2016, the technicians noted that several of the ball bearings, now thirty years old, were in need of replacement. On the advice of the technicians, the sculpture was fenced off as a precautionary measure. The MacLaren brought on mechanical engineers from CC Tatham, who completed an on-site review of the structure in July. Their report noted that three quills required new ball bearings, and recommended undertaking non-destructive safety testing on the internal assembly to ensure that the Spirit Catcher remained safe. The report identified other issues—including some corrosion damage to the quill seams, some corrosion to bolt heads, and the general age of all ball bearings—but noted that the steel structure was otherwise in good condition.
The MacLaren Art Centre has a detailed preservation plan for Spirit Catcher’s maintenance and annually inspects all moving and stationary parts, greasing bearings and preparing a report on the condition of the sculpture. In 2016, the MacLaren Art Centre worked with engineers from Tatham and with Western Mechanical to replace the ball bearings on each of the sixteen quills and on the two antennae. Spirit Catcher has been sited on city land at the Barrie waterfront since 1987, and was accessioned into the MacLaren’s Permanent Collection in 1989. It has become an icon for the City of Barrie and the MacLaren remains committed to its preservation and care.