Greek god sculptures by renowned artist may soon be back on display at Exhibition Place

A deal appears to be imminent in the years-long standoff over a popular public art exhibit at Exhibition Place.

The Garden of the Greek Gods — a collection of 20 statues by renowned Canadian sculptor E.B. Cox — has been hidden behind fences and hoarding at the Toronto Event Centre, formerly known as the Muzik nightclub, since 2014.

But last Thursday, after a private meeting of the Exhibition Place board of governors, city politicians, Exhibition Place executives and event centre owner Zlatko Starkovski said they felt that a deal has been getting closer over the past few weeks.

“I’m just glad that it’s heading toward the right place, a resolution to this,” said Coun. Stephen Holyday, who’s vice chair of the board of governors.

“I’m optimistic because I believe there’s an unprecedented amount of goodwill in this case to try to get some resolution to this long-standing issue.”

Holyday said he believes the sculptures may be relocated to a lawn in a rose garden south of the Horticulture Building at a cost of several hundred thousand dollars.

The sculptures had been on the lawn on the Horticulture Building grounds since 1979, but were mistakenly included in a deal that saw the property leased by Exhibition Place to Starkovski in 2004 for 20 years.

Ten years later, pools were added to the Muzik patio, which forced Starkovski to fence it and the sculptures in, he said.

Kathy Sutton, the daughter of the late E.B. Sutton, is a member of a city working group that’s been fighting ever since to have The Garden of the Greek Gods returned to public view. That’s what her father had intended when he donated the exhibit to the city, she said Thursday.

Now, she said, “I think we’re within a few months. Fingers crossed.”

Sutton and Coun. Mike Layton, who once represented the ward that includes Exhibition Place, had in the past maintained that Starkovski was holding the statues as a bargaining chip in his efforts to win an extended lease for the Toronto Event Centre, a supper club that replaced Muzik in 2018.

“Discussions over the last few years with the tenant, the board and the artist’s family, have hit an impasse as there has been no incentive for the tenant to permit Exhibition Place to return the statues to their rightful place in public view,” Layton wrote to city council in 2016.

His motion to open negotiations aimed at releasing the statues passed, but there has been little progress until now.

Starkovski denied that he’d been using the statues as leverage in his attempt to get a better leasing deal with the city.

The deadlock in negotiations began to ease several weeks ago, according to Exhibition Place CEO Don Boyle.

“We’re very close,” Boyle said. “I’ve seen great progress in being able to move them into the public realm … I’m targeting next summer.”

Boyle, who’s been CEO for about two months, said he’s unsure what caused the logjam, but he’s encouraged by the progress.

“Everybody’s really pulling in the same direction now,” he said.

After Thursday’s meeting, Starkovski told CBC Toronto that he’s ready to release the statues, provided the city ensures him they have an appropriate place to display them.

“I think the slowdown originally was [Exhibition Place staffers and city councillors] were looking for a location,” he said. “So there’s work to be done before they are actually removed.”

“I think that now is close to being completed.”

Concern over the condition of the statues has been heightened over the past few years. One of them, Hercules, was removed from the garden early this year to repair water damage to the lower part of the sculpture.

It has been repaired at a cost of about $16,500, according to a report to the Exhibition Place board earlier this year. But the statue has not been returned to the Toronto Event Centre patio.

The cost of sprucing up and moving the statues onto suitable, water-resistant pads will be in excess of $400,000, according to city documents, but staff say that money has already been budgeted.

The Exhibition Place board is expected to hear another update on negotiations from Boyle at its December meeting.

CBC