rushneil peartclassic rock
15:00 Thursday, 12 January 2023
In November 2022, Consequence reported that late Rush drummer Neil Peart will soon be memorialized with a pair of bronze statues aptly located at Lakeside Park in St. Catharines, Ontario, which inspired his lyrics for the band’s 1975 single of the same name.
Artist Morgan MacDonald of The Newfoundland Bronze Foundry has been selected by the city of St. Catharines to create a memorial at Neil Peart Pavilion highlighted by the statues, which will be connected by a pathway offering insight into his legacy as a poet, novelist, and lyricist.
A 12-foot sculpture will feature Peart as a young artist and poet in the 1970s as he holds a book and drumsticks, while the second will capture the musician in his later years as he offers his drumsticks to visitors. Sabian Cymbals will provide a few of Peart’s old and damaged cymbals to be melted down and incorporated into the monument.
According to the city's official website, it is still possible to make donations towards the sculture's construction. Go to this location for details.
Peart spent his summers as a youth at Lakeside Park, even working at the amusement park then located there in his early teens. He passed away in January 2020 from brain cancer, a battle he kept private during his final years.
Read the complete Consequence report here.
Sculpture photo courtesy of The Newfoundland Bronze Foundry
