The Garden of the Greek Gods finally has a new permanent home
E.B. Cox’s famed stone sculptures are once again publicly accessible at Exhibition Place.
Aphrodite. Pan. Orpheus. Minotaur. Hercules.
Key figures in Greek mythology, and also five of the 20 treasured stone sculptures that make up Toronto sculptor E.B. Cox’s The Garden of the Greek Gods.
Though they’ve been around for over half a century, the sculptures got some well-deserved love late last fall as they were unveiled in a new publicly accessible spot at Exhibition Place. This marked the end of a strangely long limbo period in which they were hidden behind fences on leased property.
Read on for the full story — and check out 3D scans of some of the sculptures.
How did we get here?
An internationally renowned artist, Cox reportedly created the sculptures in 1964. Fourteen years later, he sold them to Greek restaurateur Arthur Carman, who donated them to the city.
The Greek Gods were displayed on the south lawn of the Exhibition’s Horticulture Building, and remained there for years — even after the site was mistakenly leased to the Muzik nightclub (now the Toronto Event Centre) in 2004.
When pools were added to the Muzik patio in 2014, the sculptures were fenced in and kept away from the public.
Where are the statues now?
After several years of negotiations, and many hours of labour from a working group that included Cox’s daughter, Kathy Sutton, the statues have reached their permanent home.
They are now located at the Rose Garden area of Bandshell Park. According to the Exhibition Place website, Cox favoured this spot back in 1979.
The statues are freely available for public viewing, school visits, selfies, what have you. And there’s no longer any barrier between audience and art. Viewers can interact with and touch the 20 pieces to their hearts’ content — just as the artist originally intended.
We recently took 3D scans of The Garden of the Greek Gods with the help of Luma AI. Scroll down to see eight of the stone sculptures before you go check them out in person.
Minotaur
Height: 3’
Weight: 1.5 tons
Plaque inscription: “Half bull, half man, he guarded the maze for the king of Crete until vanquished by the Greek prince Theseus.”
Hercules
Height:
11‘
Weight: 3 tons
Plaque inscription: “The mighty hero of ancient Greece. The Gods tested him with 12 labours. He is seen here after slaying the Nemean lion.“
The Three Graces
Height: 5’
Weight: 2 tons
Plaque inscription: “These beauties were judged by Paris and the most beautiful of them received the golden apple.”
Aphrodite
Height: 4’
Weight: 1 ton
Plaque inscription: “Goddess of love, also known as Venus, born of the sea she reached shore riding a scallop shell.”
Orpheus
Height: 6’
Weight: 2 tons
Plaque inscription: “He charmed the creatures of the forest with his wonderful playing of the lyre and his heavenly singing.
Pan
Height:
3.5’
Weight: 2 tons
Plaque inscription: “The elusive god of the forest, half man, half goat, full of fun and games. He invented the reed pipes and filled the woods with their sounds.”
Mermaid
Height:
2.5’
Weight: 0.5 tons
Plaque inscription: “A sea nymph having the body of a woman and the tail of a fish. Here she holds a merbaby and a young dolphin.”
Phoenix
Height: 3’
Weight: 800 lbs
Plaque inscription: “After living in the desert for 500 years, this bird was consumed by fire. It rose anew from its own ashes and is the symbol of eternal life.”
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