Art and the 1988 Winter Olympics
The Government of Canada allocated $400,000 of the $39.9-million budget to build the Olympic Oval to purchasing artwork. The artwork at the facility acknowledges the deep connections between artists and athletes, and the idea that sport and art are both fundamental forms of expression of the human spirit.”
McKenzie originally created Brothers of the Wind for the Philadelphia Skating Club, to embody the spirit of competition. The work features eight speed skaters racing.
When purchased, this was the largest of McKenzie’s works to come onto the art market. The University acquired it specifically to be installed in the Olympic Oval prior to the Winter Games.
An image of Brothers of the Wind is engraved on all gold rings given to athletes who have set a world record in the Olympic Oval.