Why North York’s giant bear sculpture is now at the centre of a $1-million lawsuit - Toronto Star

Toronto-based artist David Blackmore has filed a lawsuit over North York's 'Seated Bear and Friends' sculpture.

David Blackmore, is suing Dean Drever, the artist publicly credited with the giant “Seated Bear” statue, claiming he was involved in the creation and design of this and other sculptures, then cut out of the deals.

When the towering statue of a female grizzly bear seated like Abraham Lincoln was unveiled in North York last year, an artist who says he was instrumental in creating it had no idea it was finished — and now he’s asking a court to make sure he’s fairly paid.

David Blackmore said a friend saw the 10-metre tall public art piece on social media and asked, “Hey, are those Dave’s bears?”

The Toronto-based artist has filed a lawsuit to enforce a profit-sharing deal he said he has with Dean Drever, the artist publicly credited with “Seated Bear and Friends” — sometimes jokingly called “Bearbraham Lincoln.” The lawsuit, filed in April, also asks for $1 million in damages for breach of Blackmore’s copyrights and moral rights. 

“I don’t feel great about it … but when it’s necessary, it’s necessary,” said Blackmore. “I just want to make sure that the agreement Dean and I have is respected and honoured.”

Blackmore also wants the court to order tracing of what could be millions in profits from “Seated Bear” and other sculpture projects he says he worked on with Drever since 2020, raising questions about who ultimately owns — and should profit from — collaborative works of art. 

Blackmore said he is pursuing legal action because Drever stopped communicating with him in November 2025 and he doesn’t know if any of the private sales were made of their work. 

The 10-metre-tall female grizzly in a North York park is the mirror image of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. But it’s unapologetically