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01 allen sapp getting willow pickets 1969
Allen Sapp, Getting Willow Pickets, 1969, acrylic on canvas. Gift of the artist.
Allen Sapp generously donated 16 paintings to the SK Arts Permanent Collection in 1992. These paintings were completed between 1968 and 1977 and were certified by the Canadian Cultural Property Export Review Board as outstanding examples of Canada’s artistic and historic heritage. Getting Willow Pickets has a place of honour, currently hanging in the Receiving Room at Government House, where the Lieutenant Governor welcomes many guests, including visiting diplomats, the Premier and cabinet, Indigenous leaders and Elders, and a wide range of community members. Sapp is widely regarded as one of Canada’s foremost Indigenous painters. He was born in 1929 on the Red Pheasant Reserve in northern Saskatchewan. His work depicts daily aspects of his life with his grandparents and is viewed as a sensitive portrayal of the Northern Plains Cree in the early 20th century. As a child, Sapp was often bed-ridden with illness, and he began drawing and painting with the encouragement of his grandmother. He moved to North Battleford in the 1960s and met Dr. Allan Gonor while trying to sell his paintings at the North Battleford Medical Clinic. Gonor became a close friend and patron and encouraged Sapp to keep painting. He soon gained national and international recognition. In 1989, a public gallery was opened in his name in North Battleford, where you can find the most extensive collection of his paintings in the world. He was an Officer of the Order of Canada, one of the first recipients of the Saskatchewan Order of Merit, recipient of the Governor General’s Literary Award and a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts. Allen Sapp passed away in 2015.
Photo credit: Office of the Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan.
Allen Sapp, Getting Willow Pickets, 1969, acrylic on canvas. Gift of the artist.
Allen Sapp generously donated 16 paintings to the SK Arts Permanent Collection in 1992. These paintings were completed between 1968 and 1977 and were certified by the Canadian Cultural Property Export Review Board as outstanding examples of Canada’s artistic and historic heritage. Getting Willow Pickets has a place of honour, currently hanging in the Receiving Room at Government House, where the Lieutenant Governor welcomes many guests, including visiting diplomats, the Premier and cabinet, Indigenous leaders and Elders, and a wide range of community members. Sapp is widely regarded as one of Canada’s foremost Indigenous painters. He was born in 1929 on the Red Pheasant Reserve in northern Saskatchewan. His work depicts daily aspects of his life with his grandparents and is viewed as a sensitive portrayal of the Northern Plains Cree in the early 20th century. As a child, Sapp was often bed-ridden with illness, and he began drawing and painting with the encouragement of his grandmother. He moved to North Battleford in the 1960s and met Dr. Allan Gonor while trying to sell his paintings at the North Battleford Medical Clinic. Gonor became a close friend and patron and encouraged Sapp to keep painting. He soon gained national and international recognition. In 1989, a public gallery was opened in his name in North Battleford, where you can find the most extensive collection of his paintings in the world. He was an Officer of the Order of Canada, one of the first recipients of the Saskatchewan Order of Merit, recipient of the Governor General’s Literary Award and a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts. Allen Sapp passed away in 2015.
Photo credit: Office of the Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan.
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02 allen sap in situ government house september 29 2020
Allen Sapp's painting in the Receiving Room at Government House.
Photo credit: Office of the Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan.
Allen Sapp's painting in the Receiving Room at Government House.
Photo credit: Office of the Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan.
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03 marsha kennedy nostos algos 1994
Marsha Kennedy, Nostos Algos, 1994, leaded glass, granite, found objects, acrylic sheeting, Letraset. (Seven glass birdhouses). Gift of the artist.
SK Arts has nine of Marsha Kennedy’s artworks in our collection, the most recent purchased in 2018. Kennedy has donated both sculptures and paintings to the collection, because she knows the art will be properly cared for and will be part of a historical collection, housed alongside art made by other artists and friends from the art community. "Having art accepted into the collection is a personal achievement. The recognition is appreciated, because you are part of an ongoing Saskatchewan legacy, included alongside artists that you admire and look up to, and your art is NOT going to end up at a garage sale!" - Marsha Kennedy. Kennedy was born in Regina in 1951. She earned a bachelor of fine arts at the University of Regina (1977). During her formative years as a professional artist, she moved to Toronto, Ontario, where she received her master of fine art from York University (1981). She lived and worked as an artist in Toronto for 11 years before returning with her son to Regina. Kennedy taught in the visual art program at the University of Regina from 1991 to 2016, as well as working in arts programming at Neutral Ground and CARFAC SASK. During that time she continued creating art and exhibiting in Saskatchewan and throughout Western Canada.
Marsha Kennedy, Nostos Algos, 1994, leaded glass, granite, found objects, acrylic sheeting, Letraset. (Seven glass birdhouses). Gift of the artist.
SK Arts has nine of Marsha Kennedy’s artworks in our collection, the most recent purchased in 2018. Kennedy has donated both sculptures and paintings to the collection, because she knows the art will be properly cared for and will be part of a historical collection, housed alongside art made by other artists and friends from the art community. "Having art accepted into the collection is a personal achievement. The recognition is appreciated, because you are part of an ongoing Saskatchewan legacy, included alongside artists that you admire and look up to, and your art is NOT going to end up at a garage sale!" - Marsha Kennedy. Kennedy was born in Regina in 1951. She earned a bachelor of fine arts at the University of Regina (1977). During her formative years as a professional artist, she moved to Toronto, Ontario, where she received her master of fine art from York University (1981). She lived and worked as an artist in Toronto for 11 years before returning with her son to Regina. Kennedy taught in the visual art program at the University of Regina from 1991 to 2016, as well as working in arts programming at Neutral Ground and CARFAC SASK. During that time she continued creating art and exhibiting in Saskatchewan and throughout Western Canada.
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04 marsha kennedy nostos algos 1994 detail
Marsha Kennedy's Nostos Algos, on display at the Moose Jaw Museum & Art Gallery in 2020.
Photo credit: SK Arts.
Marsha Kennedy's Nostos Algos, on display at the Moose Jaw Museum & Art Gallery in 2020.
Photo credit: SK Arts.
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05 pepper anna in her kitchen 1989 1990
Thelma Pepper, Anna in her Kitchen, 1989, printed 1990, composite silver print. Gift of the artist.
Thelma Pepper donated eight photographs and six interviews on cassette to the SK Arts Permanent Collection. The Remai Modern borrowed four photographs and five cassette interviews in the recent retrospective Thelma Pepper: Ordinary Women (February 13 – August 15, 2021). Pepper was born in 1920 in Kingston, Nova Scotia. She grew up around photography, as both her father and grandfather were amateur photographers, but she pursued science. She moved to Saskatoon with her husband in 1949, raising a family of four. Pepper turned to photography later in life, at the age of 60. Her photographs focused on women, community and storytelling. Known for her warmth and compassion, Pepper spent time getting to know the people she intended to photograph. Building strong relationships put her subjects at ease and resulted in intimate and moving portraits. Anna in her Kitchen, 1989 was part of Decades of Voices: Saskatchewan Pioneer Women that toured nationally and incorporated portraits and interviews of pioneer women. Pepper was the recipient of SK Arts’ Lieutenant Governor’s Arts Award—Lifetime Achievement (2014) and the Saskatchewan Order of Merit (2018). Thelma Pepper died in December 2020 in Saskatoon at the age of 100.
Photo credit: SK Arts.
Thelma Pepper, Anna in her Kitchen, 1989, printed 1990, composite silver print. Gift of the artist.
Thelma Pepper donated eight photographs and six interviews on cassette to the SK Arts Permanent Collection. The Remai Modern borrowed four photographs and five cassette interviews in the recent retrospective Thelma Pepper: Ordinary Women (February 13 – August 15, 2021). Pepper was born in 1920 in Kingston, Nova Scotia. She grew up around photography, as both her father and grandfather were amateur photographers, but she pursued science. She moved to Saskatoon with her husband in 1949, raising a family of four. Pepper turned to photography later in life, at the age of 60. Her photographs focused on women, community and storytelling. Known for her warmth and compassion, Pepper spent time getting to know the people she intended to photograph. Building strong relationships put her subjects at ease and resulted in intimate and moving portraits. Anna in her Kitchen, 1989 was part of Decades of Voices: Saskatchewan Pioneer Women that toured nationally and incorporated portraits and interviews of pioneer women. Pepper was the recipient of SK Arts’ Lieutenant Governor’s Arts Award—Lifetime Achievement (2014) and the Saskatchewan Order of Merit (2018). Thelma Pepper died in December 2020 in Saskatoon at the age of 100.
Photo credit: SK Arts.
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06 pepper thelma remai
Thelma Pepper's exhibition at the Remai Modern.
Photo credit: Donald Roach.
Thelma Pepper's exhibition at the Remai Modern.
Photo credit: Donald Roach.
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07 perreault wilf lumsden valley detail
Wilf Perreault, Lumsden/Craven (detail), 1993, acrylic on canvas. Gift of the artist.
Although best known for back-alley paintings, as a child Wilf Perreault loved painting the prairie landscape; the view of the Lumsden valley was a favourite. When working on a competition that required a highway, he was drawn back to that spot, capturing the vast valley in a one-point perspective. When complete the momentous painting was more than five metres in length. For a while it hung in the Miller High School staff room, but it needed a permanent home, so Perreault decided to donate it to the SK Arts Collection. Since its donation in 1996, Lumsden/Craven has hung in the common area at Wascana Rehabilitation Centre. "I often hear from people who have been visiting at Wascana Rehab and have seen the painting. People will stop me and ask about the painting or tell me how much they enjoy it." - Wilf Perreault. Perreault was born in Albertville and grew up in Saskatoon, taking art lessons from his neighbour Herb Wilde, a student of painter Ernest Lindner. He studied sculpture at the University of Saskatchewan under Otto Rogers and Bill Epp, graduating in 1970. He then moved to Regina, teaching high school until the 1980s, when he started enjoying enough success in painting to make it his full-time career. Perreault’s artwork has been exhibited widely since his first solo exhibition at the MacKenzie Art Gallery in 1978. In 1989 he was chosen to be one of five artists to represent Canada in Les Jeux de la Francophonie in Morocco, where he won the Silver Medal. His work is part of the collections of the Dunlop Art Gallery, Remai Modern, MacKenzie Art Gallery and Edmonton Art Gallery. Wilf Perreault continues to paint from his studio in Regina.
Photo credit: SK Arts.
Wilf Perreault, Lumsden/Craven (detail), 1993, acrylic on canvas. Gift of the artist.
Although best known for back-alley paintings, as a child Wilf Perreault loved painting the prairie landscape; the view of the Lumsden valley was a favourite. When working on a competition that required a highway, he was drawn back to that spot, capturing the vast valley in a one-point perspective. When complete the momentous painting was more than five metres in length. For a while it hung in the Miller High School staff room, but it needed a permanent home, so Perreault decided to donate it to the SK Arts Collection. Since its donation in 1996, Lumsden/Craven has hung in the common area at Wascana Rehabilitation Centre. "I often hear from people who have been visiting at Wascana Rehab and have seen the painting. People will stop me and ask about the painting or tell me how much they enjoy it." - Wilf Perreault. Perreault was born in Albertville and grew up in Saskatoon, taking art lessons from his neighbour Herb Wilde, a student of painter Ernest Lindner. He studied sculpture at the University of Saskatchewan under Otto Rogers and Bill Epp, graduating in 1970. He then moved to Regina, teaching high school until the 1980s, when he started enjoying enough success in painting to make it his full-time career. Perreault’s artwork has been exhibited widely since his first solo exhibition at the MacKenzie Art Gallery in 1978. In 1989 he was chosen to be one of five artists to represent Canada in Les Jeux de la Francophonie in Morocco, where he won the Silver Medal. His work is part of the collections of the Dunlop Art Gallery, Remai Modern, MacKenzie Art Gallery and Edmonton Art Gallery. Wilf Perreault continues to paint from his studio in Regina.
Photo credit: SK Arts.
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08 wilf perreault lumsden valley wascana rehab
Wilf Perreault's Lumsden/Craven installed in the common area of Wascana Rehabilitation Centre in Regina.
Photo credit: SK Arts.
Wilf Perreault's Lumsden/Craven installed in the common area of Wascana Rehabilitation Centre in Regina.
Photo credit: SK Arts.
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09 longman hills never lie lebret graveyard09
Mary Longman (Aski-Piyesiwiskwew), Hills Never Lie – Lebret Graveyard, 2009, lenticular photograph (limited edition). Gift of the artist.
Mary Longman's lenticular photographs enable her to bring together two separate images within one artwork. Hills Never Lie – Lebret Graveyard combines an archival photograph, Graveyard at Fort Qu'Appelle by O. B. Buell circa 1885, with a photo of herself in the same location taken in 2009. When Longman came across the photograph in Edward Cavell's 1984 book Sometimes a Great Nation: A Photo Album of Canada 1850-1925, she recognized the location as Sacred Heart Church in Lebret, near where she spent her childhood, and the man in the photograph to be Mistahimaskwa (Big Bear). "My self portrait, taken 125 years later, on the exact spot where Big Bear stood, honours Mistahimaskwa's legacy and points to perseverance of today's First Nations, who survived smallpox, residential schools, and dependency on the Hudson's Bay Company.” - Mary Longman. Of Saulteaux heritage, Longman was born in Fort Qu'Appelle in 1964 and grew up on the Gordon First Nation. Her childhood experiences, including being part of the infamous “Sixties Scoop” that saw thousands of Indigenous children taken from their families and put into foster care, have been an important influence on her work, which includes sculpture/installation, drawing, digital media and book illustration. Longman studied at the Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design in Vancouver (1985-1989). She received her master of fine art degree from NSCAD (1993) and her PhD in art education from the University of Victoria (2006). Her artwork has been exhibited across Canada and the United States. She has also worked as an art instructor, professor and department head at various institutions, including the University of Saskatchewan, where she is currently a professor of studio art and Indigenous art history.
Photo credit: Photo courtesy of the artist.
Mary Longman (Aski-Piyesiwiskwew), Hills Never Lie – Lebret Graveyard, 2009, lenticular photograph (limited edition). Gift of the artist.
Mary Longman's lenticular photographs enable her to bring together two separate images within one artwork. Hills Never Lie – Lebret Graveyard combines an archival photograph, Graveyard at Fort Qu'Appelle by O. B. Buell circa 1885, with a photo of herself in the same location taken in 2009. When Longman came across the photograph in Edward Cavell's 1984 book Sometimes a Great Nation: A Photo Album of Canada 1850-1925, she recognized the location as Sacred Heart Church in Lebret, near where she spent her childhood, and the man in the photograph to be Mistahimaskwa (Big Bear). "My self portrait, taken 125 years later, on the exact spot where Big Bear stood, honours Mistahimaskwa's legacy and points to perseverance of today's First Nations, who survived smallpox, residential schools, and dependency on the Hudson's Bay Company.” - Mary Longman. Of Saulteaux heritage, Longman was born in Fort Qu'Appelle in 1964 and grew up on the Gordon First Nation. Her childhood experiences, including being part of the infamous “Sixties Scoop” that saw thousands of Indigenous children taken from their families and put into foster care, have been an important influence on her work, which includes sculpture/installation, drawing, digital media and book illustration. Longman studied at the Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design in Vancouver (1985-1989). She received her master of fine art degree from NSCAD (1993) and her PhD in art education from the University of Victoria (2006). Her artwork has been exhibited across Canada and the United States. She has also worked as an art instructor, professor and department head at various institutions, including the University of Saskatchewan, where she is currently a professor of studio art and Indigenous art history.
Photo credit: Photo courtesy of the artist.
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10 brian gladwell desk sk arts ceo
Brian Gladwell, untitled (desk), c. 1990s, cardboard, paint, hardtop. Gift of Mary and Don Thauberger.
Brian Gladwell’s untitled (desk) has been a functional piece of furniture for more than 30 years. Custom built from laminated cardboard for the Susan Whitney Gallery, it was designed to be easily assembled and disassembled so she could take it to art fairs in Toronto, New York, Chicago and Los Angeles. When no longer traveling to art fairs, Whitney sold the desk to collectors Don and Mary Thauberger. Mary used the desk until her passing in 2011, when Don moved it into his office in Regina. Wanting to find a permanent home for the desk, where it would continue to be used and taken care of, he gifted it SK Arts Permanent Collection in 2017. The desk is currently being used by SK Arts CEO Michael Jones. "I love to be surrounded by nice things that are handmade. I value objects that someone has put thought and spent time creating. I like to support local artists. This desk traveled to art fairs across America, was in a working office for years, and now is living on in a collection. How great is that?" - Don Thauberger. Gladwell was born in North Battleford. After studying political science at the University of Saskatchewan, he moved to Fort Qu’Appelle, where he began repairing and refinishing furniture and taught himself carpentry. He started working from his own furniture studio in 1973, and began serving as woodworker-in-residence at the Neil Balkwill Civic Art Centre in Regina in 1983. He started experimenting with laminated cardboard in the 1980s, incorporating the corrugated texture into the design of his work and using woodworking methods to aid in the construction of cardboard forms. Gladwell’s work blurs the lines between furniture and sculpture, ranging from functional furniture commissions to pieces presented through galleries. It has been exhibited in Canada and the United States and is represented in collections including the Canada Council Art Bank, MacKenzie Art Gallery, Dunlop Art Gallery and Remai Modern. Brian Gladwell lives in Regina.
Photo credit: SK Arts CEO Michael Jones using Gladwell's desk.
Brian Gladwell, untitled (desk), c. 1990s, cardboard, paint, hardtop. Gift of Mary and Don Thauberger.
Brian Gladwell’s untitled (desk) has been a functional piece of furniture for more than 30 years. Custom built from laminated cardboard for the Susan Whitney Gallery, it was designed to be easily assembled and disassembled so she could take it to art fairs in Toronto, New York, Chicago and Los Angeles. When no longer traveling to art fairs, Whitney sold the desk to collectors Don and Mary Thauberger. Mary used the desk until her passing in 2011, when Don moved it into his office in Regina. Wanting to find a permanent home for the desk, where it would continue to be used and taken care of, he gifted it SK Arts Permanent Collection in 2017. The desk is currently being used by SK Arts CEO Michael Jones. "I love to be surrounded by nice things that are handmade. I value objects that someone has put thought and spent time creating. I like to support local artists. This desk traveled to art fairs across America, was in a working office for years, and now is living on in a collection. How great is that?" - Don Thauberger. Gladwell was born in North Battleford. After studying political science at the University of Saskatchewan, he moved to Fort Qu’Appelle, where he began repairing and refinishing furniture and taught himself carpentry. He started working from his own furniture studio in 1973, and began serving as woodworker-in-residence at the Neil Balkwill Civic Art Centre in Regina in 1983. He started experimenting with laminated cardboard in the 1980s, incorporating the corrugated texture into the design of his work and using woodworking methods to aid in the construction of cardboard forms. Gladwell’s work blurs the lines between furniture and sculpture, ranging from functional furniture commissions to pieces presented through galleries. It has been exhibited in Canada and the United States and is represented in collections including the Canada Council Art Bank, MacKenzie Art Gallery, Dunlop Art Gallery and Remai Modern. Brian Gladwell lives in Regina.
Photo credit: SK Arts CEO Michael Jones using Gladwell's desk.
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11 hardy rain dance badlands 2011
Greg Hardy, Rain Dance, Badlands, 2011, acrylic on canvas. Gift of the artist.
Hardy's paintings depict Saskatchewan landscapes – clouds, fields, forests and skies – often using thick, textured layers of paint and a range of brushstrokes. Hardy generously donated 10 of his favourite recent works, created between 2005 to 2014, to the collection in 2017. Rain Dance, Badlands is pictured here hanging at the Saskatchewan Legislative Building.Hardy was born in Saskatoon in 1950. He studied media at Ryerson Polytechnical Institute in Toronto (1970-72) and is self-taught as a painter, influenced by artists such as Dorothy Knowles. His work has been exhibited in solo and group shows across Canada since 1974. He has taught art at the Saskatchewan Summer School of the Arts, the University of Alberta and Memorial University. He says about the scenes that inspire him, "Although I have explored abstract and figurative imagery, the landscape has been my primary source of inspiration. Having lived in rural situations for many years, I have been able to observe, on a daily basis, the ever-changing visual phenomena in the environment. The changing relationships in the landscape: the lights, the season, the space, have been the focus of my concerns as a painter." Hardy's work is represented in public and private collections, including those of the Canada Council Art Bank, University of Alberta, Remai Modern and MacKenzie Art Gallery. Greg Hardy lives in Saskatoon and continues to paint in his studio near Meacham.
Photo credit: Photo courtesy of the artist.
Greg Hardy, Rain Dance, Badlands, 2011, acrylic on canvas. Gift of the artist.
Hardy's paintings depict Saskatchewan landscapes – clouds, fields, forests and skies – often using thick, textured layers of paint and a range of brushstrokes. Hardy generously donated 10 of his favourite recent works, created between 2005 to 2014, to the collection in 2017. Rain Dance, Badlands is pictured here hanging at the Saskatchewan Legislative Building.Hardy was born in Saskatoon in 1950. He studied media at Ryerson Polytechnical Institute in Toronto (1970-72) and is self-taught as a painter, influenced by artists such as Dorothy Knowles. His work has been exhibited in solo and group shows across Canada since 1974. He has taught art at the Saskatchewan Summer School of the Arts, the University of Alberta and Memorial University. He says about the scenes that inspire him, "Although I have explored abstract and figurative imagery, the landscape has been my primary source of inspiration. Having lived in rural situations for many years, I have been able to observe, on a daily basis, the ever-changing visual phenomena in the environment. The changing relationships in the landscape: the lights, the season, the space, have been the focus of my concerns as a painter." Hardy's work is represented in public and private collections, including those of the Canada Council Art Bank, University of Alberta, Remai Modern and MacKenzie Art Gallery. Greg Hardy lives in Saskatoon and continues to paint in his studio near Meacham.
Photo credit: Photo courtesy of the artist.
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12 hardy leg2017 rain dance badlands 2011
Greg Hardy's Rain Dance, Badlands on display at the Saskatchewan Legislative Building.
Photo credit: SK Arts.
Greg Hardy's Rain Dance, Badlands on display at the Saskatchewan Legislative Building.
Photo credit: SK Arts.
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13 dorion leah offering tobacco to willow grove 2012
Leah Dorion, Offering Tobacco to Willow Grove, acrylic on canvas hardboard, 2012. Gift of the artist.
In 2017 Dorion generously donated seven paintings to the SK Arts Permanent Collection that are the original illustrations for her Saskatchewan Book Awards-nominated children's storybook The Diamond Willow Walking Stick, published by the Gabriel Dumont Institute in 2012. The story features remembrances of a Métis elder reflecting upon the traditional teachings about generosity that were practiced in his community and family during his lifetime. The story communicates how grandparents serve as role modelis for children about how to live with respect the circle of life and cultural values associated with living on the land. Dorion was born in Nipawin in 1970 and grew up in Prince Albert, with cultural roots to the Métis community of Cumberland House. She holds a Bachelor of Education from the University of Saskatchewan (1994), bachelor of arts from the University of Saskatchewan (1999), and master of arts degree from Athabasca University (2010). Dorion credits her Métis heritage as an important influence on her throughout her career as a teacher, painter, filmmaker and published writer. She views her Métis heritage as providing her with a unique bridge for knowledge between all people.
Photo credit: SK Arts.
Leah Dorion, Offering Tobacco to Willow Grove, acrylic on canvas hardboard, 2012. Gift of the artist.
In 2017 Dorion generously donated seven paintings to the SK Arts Permanent Collection that are the original illustrations for her Saskatchewan Book Awards-nominated children's storybook The Diamond Willow Walking Stick, published by the Gabriel Dumont Institute in 2012. The story features remembrances of a Métis elder reflecting upon the traditional teachings about generosity that were practiced in his community and family during his lifetime. The story communicates how grandparents serve as role modelis for children about how to live with respect the circle of life and cultural values associated with living on the land. Dorion was born in Nipawin in 1970 and grew up in Prince Albert, with cultural roots to the Métis community of Cumberland House. She holds a Bachelor of Education from the University of Saskatchewan (1994), bachelor of arts from the University of Saskatchewan (1999), and master of arts degree from Athabasca University (2010). Dorion credits her Métis heritage as an important influence on her throughout her career as a teacher, painter, filmmaker and published writer. She views her Métis heritage as providing her with a unique bridge for knowledge between all people.
Photo credit: SK Arts.
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14 dorion leah installation
Leah Dorion's Offering Tobacco to Willow Grove painting on display through the SK Arts Art Rental Program.
Photo credit: SK Arts.
Leah Dorion's Offering Tobacco to Willow Grove painting on display through the SK Arts Art Rental Program.
Photo credit: SK Arts.
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15 ann newdigate finally a lesson from tapestry
Ann Newdigate, Finally a lesson from tapestry, 1988, acrylic, watercolour crayon, ink, felt pen on canvas. Gift of the artist.
Finally a lesson from tapestry was donated in 1998. The painting on canvas is the inspiration for the woven tapestry, Finally A Lesson From Tapestry/It Ain't What You Do, It's The Way That You Do It, that was purchased for the SK Arts Permanent Collection in 1988. Newdigate produced many expressive paintings and drawings that could become sources for tapestries. While the painting on canvas is an artwork in itself, it also speaks to her process as a fibre artist. Both artworks were inspired by Athol Fugard's play, A Lesson from Aloes (1978). Fugard is a South African writer known for his political plays opposing apartheid. Born 1934 in Grahamstown (now called Makhanda), South Africa, Ann Newdigate has a bachelor of arts (1964) in African Studies and English Literature from Cape Town University. She moved to Canada in 1966, where she received a bachelor of arts from the University of Saskatchewan (1975), studying with Otto Rogers, and master of fine arts supervised by Lynne Bell. Newdigate then studied tapestry in Scotland, receiving a post-graduate diploma from the Edinburgh College of Art (1981-1982), which was partly funded by SK Arts. Over her career SK Arts has purchased tapestries, paintings and drawings for our Permanent Collection. With that support in mind, Newdigate made two large donations of her work to the collection, including 15 artworks in 1998, and 28 artworks in 2000. Newdigate's work is part of numerous collections, and she has exhibited her tapestry work and drawings widely in galleries in Saskatchewan and across Canada, as well as in the United States and Australia. Over her career she has been involved in creating and sustaining arts communities co-founding Saskatoon's Shoestring Gallery (currently AKA Gallery), was board chair at BlackFlash Magazine (1997) and served as a board member of SK Arts (1992-95). Newdigate was awarded the Lieutenant Governor's Arts Award for Lifetime Achievement by SK Arts in 1999. Newdigate now lives and works on Hornby Island, British Columbia. She acknowledged the support she received from SK Arts through the substantial donation of 43 artworks that were certified by the Canadian Cultural Property Export Review Board as outstanding examples of Canada's artistic and historic heritage.
Photo credit: SK Arts.
Ann Newdigate, Finally a lesson from tapestry, 1988, acrylic, watercolour crayon, ink, felt pen on canvas. Gift of the artist.
Finally a lesson from tapestry was donated in 1998. The painting on canvas is the inspiration for the woven tapestry, Finally A Lesson From Tapestry/It Ain't What You Do, It's The Way That You Do It, that was purchased for the SK Arts Permanent Collection in 1988. Newdigate produced many expressive paintings and drawings that could become sources for tapestries. While the painting on canvas is an artwork in itself, it also speaks to her process as a fibre artist. Both artworks were inspired by Athol Fugard's play, A Lesson from Aloes (1978). Fugard is a South African writer known for his political plays opposing apartheid. Born 1934 in Grahamstown (now called Makhanda), South Africa, Ann Newdigate has a bachelor of arts (1964) in African Studies and English Literature from Cape Town University. She moved to Canada in 1966, where she received a bachelor of arts from the University of Saskatchewan (1975), studying with Otto Rogers, and master of fine arts supervised by Lynne Bell. Newdigate then studied tapestry in Scotland, receiving a post-graduate diploma from the Edinburgh College of Art (1981-1982), which was partly funded by SK Arts. Over her career SK Arts has purchased tapestries, paintings and drawings for our Permanent Collection. With that support in mind, Newdigate made two large donations of her work to the collection, including 15 artworks in 1998, and 28 artworks in 2000. Newdigate's work is part of numerous collections, and she has exhibited her tapestry work and drawings widely in galleries in Saskatchewan and across Canada, as well as in the United States and Australia. Over her career she has been involved in creating and sustaining arts communities co-founding Saskatoon's Shoestring Gallery (currently AKA Gallery), was board chair at BlackFlash Magazine (1997) and served as a board member of SK Arts (1992-95). Newdigate was awarded the Lieutenant Governor's Arts Award for Lifetime Achievement by SK Arts in 1999. Newdigate now lives and works on Hornby Island, British Columbia. She acknowledged the support she received from SK Arts through the substantial donation of 43 artworks that were certified by the Canadian Cultural Property Export Review Board as outstanding examples of Canada's artistic and historic heritage.
Photo credit: SK Arts.
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16 ann newdigate finally a lesson from tapestry it ain t what you do it s the way that you do it
Ann Newdigate's Finally A Lesson From Tapestry/It Ain't What You Do, It's The Way That You Do It, 1988, wool, linen, cotton, silk, synthetic fiber, acrylic paint/tapestry (medieval style).
Photo credit: SK Arts.
Ann Newdigate's Finally A Lesson From Tapestry/It Ain't What You Do, It's The Way That You Do It, 1988, wool, linen, cotton, silk, synthetic fiber, acrylic paint/tapestry (medieval style).
Photo credit: SK Arts.
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17 fine day and whalley installation1 somewhere in between 4
Sean Woodruff Whalley and John Henry Fine Day, Somewhere in Between #4, 2005-2006, rawhide, recycled lumber. Gift of the artists.
Somewhere in Between #4 combines recycled lumber with raw hide and was created collaboratively by Sean Woodruff Whalley and John Henry Fine Day. Whalley first met Fine Day when he was a student in one of his classes at the University of Regina. Whalley said, "He shone amongst the others and stood out with his enthusiasm and talents." They later decided to collaborate on a series of large sculptures. "We envisioned the exhibition to bridge two cultures. Not of First Nations Cree and the colonizer but of two divergent histories looking for common ground, common ways of thinking and the harmony of two distinct styles coming together." - Sean Whalley. The exhibition, Somewhere In Between, was shown at the Art Gallery of Regina in 2006, and was included in the exhibition, Flatlanders, at the Mendel Art Gallery (now Remai Modern) in 2009. The artists wanted to donate to the SK Arts Permanent Collection so the sculptures would be shared with the public into the future. Somewhere In Between #4 was displayed at Mosaic Tower at Hill Centre III in spring 2016. Fine Day was born in 1974 in Regina, as a member of the Sweetgrass First Nation. He was drawn to art at an early age. He studied sculpture at the First Nations University of Canada, receiving a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2004. Fine Day's work has included a variety of contemporary and traditional media and forms, from wood carving to pieces that incorporate steel, rawhide and sinew. John Henry Fine Day passed away in 2006. Whalley was born in St. Catharines, Ontario, in 1969. He received a bachelor of fine arts from the Toronto's York University in 1993, and an master of fine arts from the University of Regina in 2000. Sean Whalley is a professor of sculpture at the University of Regina. Photo: Somewhere in Between #4 installed at Mosaic Tower at Hill Centre III in Regina in 2016.
Photo credit: SK Arts.
Sean Woodruff Whalley and John Henry Fine Day, Somewhere in Between #4, 2005-2006, rawhide, recycled lumber. Gift of the artists.
Somewhere in Between #4 combines recycled lumber with raw hide and was created collaboratively by Sean Woodruff Whalley and John Henry Fine Day. Whalley first met Fine Day when he was a student in one of his classes at the University of Regina. Whalley said, "He shone amongst the others and stood out with his enthusiasm and talents." They later decided to collaborate on a series of large sculptures. "We envisioned the exhibition to bridge two cultures. Not of First Nations Cree and the colonizer but of two divergent histories looking for common ground, common ways of thinking and the harmony of two distinct styles coming together." - Sean Whalley. The exhibition, Somewhere In Between, was shown at the Art Gallery of Regina in 2006, and was included in the exhibition, Flatlanders, at the Mendel Art Gallery (now Remai Modern) in 2009. The artists wanted to donate to the SK Arts Permanent Collection so the sculptures would be shared with the public into the future. Somewhere In Between #4 was displayed at Mosaic Tower at Hill Centre III in spring 2016. Fine Day was born in 1974 in Regina, as a member of the Sweetgrass First Nation. He was drawn to art at an early age. He studied sculpture at the First Nations University of Canada, receiving a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2004. Fine Day's work has included a variety of contemporary and traditional media and forms, from wood carving to pieces that incorporate steel, rawhide and sinew. John Henry Fine Day passed away in 2006. Whalley was born in St. Catharines, Ontario, in 1969. He received a bachelor of fine arts from the Toronto's York University in 1993, and an master of fine arts from the University of Regina in 2000. Sean Whalley is a professor of sculpture at the University of Regina. Photo: Somewhere in Between #4 installed at Mosaic Tower at Hill Centre III in Regina in 2016.
Photo credit: SK Arts.
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18 yang huang zhong on the corner
Huang Zhong-Yang, On the Corner, oil on canvas, no date. Gift of John and Monica Kurtz, in memory of James J. Kurtz.
On the Corner was painted as the artist sat by the roadside behind a friend's backyard. "I wanted to create a painting that shows beauty can be found in unexpected places." - Huang Zhong-Yang. This painting was donated by John and Monica Kurtz, in memory of their son James J. Kurtz, who passed away suddenly in 1996 at the age of 40. James was co-founder of the Assiniboia Gallery and an active member of the arts community in Saskatchewan. This painting, along with 18 more from James Kurtz's personal collection, was donated to the SK Arts Permanent Collection. These included artworks by Henry Beaudry, Bob Boyer, Art McKay, Catherine Perehudoff and Allan Sapp, to name just a few, and represent the diversity of his collecting. Zhong-Yang was born 1949 in Guangzhov, China. He was raised in an artistic family; at the age of four, he was encouraged to learn Chinese painting and was taught calligraphy techniques. During the Cultural Revolution, at the age of 15, he was sent to the fields to be re-educated through immersion in rural peasant life, where he remained for 10 years. In 1977 he applied as was accepted into the master of fine arts program at Guangzhou Academy Fine Arts, graduating in 1981. He was an instructor there from 1981 to 1984, when he traveled to Canada to pursue a second master of fine art from University of Regina, graduating in 1988. From 2013 to 2016, Yang returned to China to teach at the University of Guangzhou as a professor, before returning to Regina to live and work. He painted the official portrait of Governor General Ramon John Hnatyshyn (1994), the official portrait of Premier Roy Romanow for the Saskatchewan Government (1995) and major mural paintings for both the Royal Saskatchewan Museum and the Royal Alberta Museum (1993-97). The MacKenzie Art Gallery featured a solo exhibition, The Shadow of Mao, by Yang in 2011. His contributions to the visual arts have been recognized with the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal (2002) and the Saskatchewan Centennial Medal (2005).
Photo credit: SK Arts.
Huang Zhong-Yang, On the Corner, oil on canvas, no date. Gift of John and Monica Kurtz, in memory of James J. Kurtz.
On the Corner was painted as the artist sat by the roadside behind a friend's backyard. "I wanted to create a painting that shows beauty can be found in unexpected places." - Huang Zhong-Yang. This painting was donated by John and Monica Kurtz, in memory of their son James J. Kurtz, who passed away suddenly in 1996 at the age of 40. James was co-founder of the Assiniboia Gallery and an active member of the arts community in Saskatchewan. This painting, along with 18 more from James Kurtz's personal collection, was donated to the SK Arts Permanent Collection. These included artworks by Henry Beaudry, Bob Boyer, Art McKay, Catherine Perehudoff and Allan Sapp, to name just a few, and represent the diversity of his collecting. Zhong-Yang was born 1949 in Guangzhov, China. He was raised in an artistic family; at the age of four, he was encouraged to learn Chinese painting and was taught calligraphy techniques. During the Cultural Revolution, at the age of 15, he was sent to the fields to be re-educated through immersion in rural peasant life, where he remained for 10 years. In 1977 he applied as was accepted into the master of fine arts program at Guangzhou Academy Fine Arts, graduating in 1981. He was an instructor there from 1981 to 1984, when he traveled to Canada to pursue a second master of fine art from University of Regina, graduating in 1988. From 2013 to 2016, Yang returned to China to teach at the University of Guangzhou as a professor, before returning to Regina to live and work. He painted the official portrait of Governor General Ramon John Hnatyshyn (1994), the official portrait of Premier Roy Romanow for the Saskatchewan Government (1995) and major mural paintings for both the Royal Saskatchewan Museum and the Royal Alberta Museum (1993-97). The MacKenzie Art Gallery featured a solo exhibition, The Shadow of Mao, by Yang in 2011. His contributions to the visual arts have been recognized with the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal (2002) and the Saskatchewan Centennial Medal (2005).
Photo credit: SK Arts.
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19 gakovic maria basket
Maria Gakovic, Basket, clay, glaze, 1987. Gift of Lyn Goldman.
Basket was donated to the SK Arts Permanent Collection by Lyn Goldman in 1996. The ceramic basket belonged to her mother Dorothy Goldman, who passed away that same year. Lyn Goldman served on the SK Arts Board of Directors for five years and values the work we do in the province: "I think the world of the agency and love the collection so much, especially since so many pieces are shared with the public." In addition to this donation Lyn Goldman donated two artworks by her brother Anthony Thorn in 2016. Maria Gakovic was born in 1913 in Yugoslavia. After considerable hardship there, she came with her husband to Canada, settling in Regina in 1952. She received a Bachelor of Arts (1974), a Bachelor of Fine Arts (1976) and a Master of Fine Arts (1985), all from the University of Regina. She went on to teach at elementary schools in Regina, as well as through the MacKenzie Art Gallery and the Regina University Women's Club. Gakovic's artworks in watercolour, oils, acrylics and clay were exhibited in group and solo exhibitions in Saskatchewan beginning in the 1970s and were also part of an exhibition at the National Museum of Natural Sciences in Ottawa in 1986. Her work is part of numerous private collections in Regina, the United States, Japan and Yugoslavia, as well as in the collections of the University of Regina, Government of Saskatchewan and SaskTel. Maria Gakovic passed away in 1999.
Photo credit: SK Arts.
Maria Gakovic, Basket, clay, glaze, 1987. Gift of Lyn Goldman.
Basket was donated to the SK Arts Permanent Collection by Lyn Goldman in 1996. The ceramic basket belonged to her mother Dorothy Goldman, who passed away that same year. Lyn Goldman served on the SK Arts Board of Directors for five years and values the work we do in the province: "I think the world of the agency and love the collection so much, especially since so many pieces are shared with the public." In addition to this donation Lyn Goldman donated two artworks by her brother Anthony Thorn in 2016. Maria Gakovic was born in 1913 in Yugoslavia. After considerable hardship there, she came with her husband to Canada, settling in Regina in 1952. She received a Bachelor of Arts (1974), a Bachelor of Fine Arts (1976) and a Master of Fine Arts (1985), all from the University of Regina. She went on to teach at elementary schools in Regina, as well as through the MacKenzie Art Gallery and the Regina University Women's Club. Gakovic's artworks in watercolour, oils, acrylics and clay were exhibited in group and solo exhibitions in Saskatchewan beginning in the 1970s and were also part of an exhibition at the National Museum of Natural Sciences in Ottawa in 1986. Her work is part of numerous private collections in Regina, the United States, Japan and Yugoslavia, as well as in the collections of the University of Regina, Government of Saskatchewan and SaskTel. Maria Gakovic passed away in 1999.
Photo credit: SK Arts.
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20 joe fafard big bear 1975
Joe Fafard, Big Bear, clay, acrylic, glaze, nails, 1975. Gift of Victor Cicansky.
When people think of Joe Fafard, cows often come to mind. However, in the 1970s Fafard created of series of ceramic portraits of family, friends and his neighbours living in Pense. He also created portraits of famous artists, like van Gogh and historic figures that he admired. Big Bear, created in 1975, is based on a photograph taken in 1885, Mistahi maskwa (Big Bear ca. 1825-1888), a Plains Cree chief, Regina, Saskatchewan (photograph provided by Library and Archives Canada). "The historical figures have the same motivation as the portraits of my family. The historical figures are our small collective past. Louis Riel and the people who lived at the same time as Crowfoot and Big Bear are certainly important figures." Joe Fafard Interview, 1987, pg. 50, Joe Fafard: Cows and Other Luminaries 1977-1987. Ceramic artist Victor Cicansky, a friend and colleague of Fafard, bought the sculpture from an early exhibition. "It was a great deal back then, such an impressive sculpture from one of the first portrait series that Joe had done. I kept it in my own art collection for over 20 years. In 1994 I thought it was important that the piece be in a public collection. I believe some of the best ideas for this country came out of this province, including the SK Arts and the arts funding it provides. I want the sculpture to be enjoyed for many years to come." - Victor Cicansky. The sculpture will be on display at Wanuskwin Heritage Park from August 2021 until February 2022. Fafard was named an officer of the Order of Canada (1981), received the Saskatchewan Order of Merit (2002), was awarded SK Arts' Lieutenant Governor's Arts Award (2007) and was given honorary degrees from the University of Regina (1989) and the University of Manitoba (2007). His work is represented in the collections of the National Gallery of Canada, Art Gallery of Ontario, Art Gallery of Hamilton, Montreal Museum of Fine Art, Vancouver Art Gallery and Winnipeg Art Gallery. Joe Fafard passed away in March 2019.
Photo credit: SK Arts.
Joe Fafard, Big Bear, clay, acrylic, glaze, nails, 1975. Gift of Victor Cicansky.
When people think of Joe Fafard, cows often come to mind. However, in the 1970s Fafard created of series of ceramic portraits of family, friends and his neighbours living in Pense. He also created portraits of famous artists, like van Gogh and historic figures that he admired. Big Bear, created in 1975, is based on a photograph taken in 1885, Mistahi maskwa (Big Bear ca. 1825-1888), a Plains Cree chief, Regina, Saskatchewan (photograph provided by Library and Archives Canada). "The historical figures have the same motivation as the portraits of my family. The historical figures are our small collective past. Louis Riel and the people who lived at the same time as Crowfoot and Big Bear are certainly important figures." Joe Fafard Interview, 1987, pg. 50, Joe Fafard: Cows and Other Luminaries 1977-1987. Ceramic artist Victor Cicansky, a friend and colleague of Fafard, bought the sculpture from an early exhibition. "It was a great deal back then, such an impressive sculpture from one of the first portrait series that Joe had done. I kept it in my own art collection for over 20 years. In 1994 I thought it was important that the piece be in a public collection. I believe some of the best ideas for this country came out of this province, including the SK Arts and the arts funding it provides. I want the sculpture to be enjoyed for many years to come." - Victor Cicansky. The sculpture will be on display at Wanuskwin Heritage Park from August 2021 until February 2022. Fafard was named an officer of the Order of Canada (1981), received the Saskatchewan Order of Merit (2002), was awarded SK Arts' Lieutenant Governor's Arts Award (2007) and was given honorary degrees from the University of Regina (1989) and the University of Manitoba (2007). His work is represented in the collections of the National Gallery of Canada, Art Gallery of Ontario, Art Gallery of Hamilton, Montreal Museum of Fine Art, Vancouver Art Gallery and Winnipeg Art Gallery. Joe Fafard passed away in March 2019.
Photo credit: SK Arts.
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21 photo big bear for sculpture
Big Bear ca. 1825-88, a Plains Cree Chief, Regina, Saskatchewan.
Photo credit: Photo provided by Library and Archives Canada.
Big Bear ca. 1825-88, a Plains Cree Chief, Regina, Saskatchewan.
Photo credit: Photo provided by Library and Archives Canada.
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22 cowley reta summers mills at night saskatoon
Reta Summers Cowley, Mills at Night, Saskatoon, oil on Masonite, 1955. Gift of Dr. Margaret Mahood.
Mills at Night was donated to the collection by Dr. Margaret Mahood in 1993, along with eight other artworks. Mahood was a pioneering feminist, socialist and progressive physician who fought for universal public health, psychiatric care and women's reproductive rights. She was a supporter of art and Saskatchewan artists, particularly collecting women artists. Artworks donated include paintings by Grace Hogg and Lorna Russell and prints by Elyse St. George and Trudy Fischer. Reta Summers Cowley was born in Moose Jaw and grew up in the Yorkton area, later teaching in rural schools during the Great Depression. From 1937-40, she attended the Emma Lake Artists' Workshops, studying under Gordon Snelgrove and Augustus Kenderdine. She became a major contributor to the development of Canadian landscape painting after World War II. Her inspiration came from the landscape around Saskatoon, and she painted primarily on location, most often in the summer. Unlike other watercolourists, Cowley's work shows no signs of an initial pencil drawing. In the early 1950s, she taught at the Emma Lake Summer School, and in 1966, she earned a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Saskatchewan. She taught at the university until 1972, and at public schools until 1975, when she retired and devoted herself to painting. Reta Summer Cowley passed away in 2004.
Photo credit: SK Arts.
Reta Summers Cowley, Mills at Night, Saskatoon, oil on Masonite, 1955. Gift of Dr. Margaret Mahood.
Mills at Night was donated to the collection by Dr. Margaret Mahood in 1993, along with eight other artworks. Mahood was a pioneering feminist, socialist and progressive physician who fought for universal public health, psychiatric care and women's reproductive rights. She was a supporter of art and Saskatchewan artists, particularly collecting women artists. Artworks donated include paintings by Grace Hogg and Lorna Russell and prints by Elyse St. George and Trudy Fischer. Reta Summers Cowley was born in Moose Jaw and grew up in the Yorkton area, later teaching in rural schools during the Great Depression. From 1937-40, she attended the Emma Lake Artists' Workshops, studying under Gordon Snelgrove and Augustus Kenderdine. She became a major contributor to the development of Canadian landscape painting after World War II. Her inspiration came from the landscape around Saskatoon, and she painted primarily on location, most often in the summer. Unlike other watercolourists, Cowley's work shows no signs of an initial pencil drawing. In the early 1950s, she taught at the Emma Lake Summer School, and in 1966, she earned a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Saskatchewan. She taught at the university until 1972, and at public schools until 1975, when she retired and devoted herself to painting. Reta Summer Cowley passed away in 2004.
Photo credit: SK Arts.
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23 maija peeples mandrill manatees in manhattan 1980
Maija Peeples-Bright, Mandrill Manatees in Manhattan, 1980, hand coloured etching (A/P). Donated by David Thauberger.
Maija Peeples-Bright was born in Latvia in 1942 and immigrated to the United States with her parents at the age of nine. She received a Bachelor of Arts (1964) and Master of Arts (1965) from the University of California, Davis. Peeples-Bright moved to Regina (1970-71) with her husband at the time, David Zack, who was hired to teach art history at the University of Saskatchewan, Regina Campus. During this time, she shared a studio fellow visiting American ceramic artist David Gilhooly as well as Victor Cicansky and Joe Fafard. Peeples-Bright is known for her vividly coloured paintings, drawings and ceramics depicting beast-like creatures and various members of the animal kingdom. Her vibrant and eccentric personality had big impact on the art community. The SK Arts Collection has two Peebles-Bright artworks in the collection. (Susan Whitney donated Panda Pangolins in Paris to the collection in 2015.) Peeples-Bright had a huge influence on Whitney, who was in her early 20s at the time of her stay. "I loved her aesthetics and remember visiting her home on College Avenue that she had decorated throughout with her paintings, even the light switch plates." - Susan Whitney. David Thauberger donated Mandrill Manatees in Manhattan to the collection in 1991. "It is important to build a collection of Saskatchewan art and include artists who had a big impact on the community, even if only in the province for a short time." - David Thauberger
Maija Peeples-Bright, Mandrill Manatees in Manhattan, 1980, hand coloured etching (A/P). Donated by David Thauberger.
Maija Peeples-Bright was born in Latvia in 1942 and immigrated to the United States with her parents at the age of nine. She received a Bachelor of Arts (1964) and Master of Arts (1965) from the University of California, Davis. Peeples-Bright moved to Regina (1970-71) with her husband at the time, David Zack, who was hired to teach art history at the University of Saskatchewan, Regina Campus. During this time, she shared a studio fellow visiting American ceramic artist David Gilhooly as well as Victor Cicansky and Joe Fafard. Peeples-Bright is known for her vividly coloured paintings, drawings and ceramics depicting beast-like creatures and various members of the animal kingdom. Her vibrant and eccentric personality had big impact on the art community. The SK Arts Collection has two Peebles-Bright artworks in the collection. (Susan Whitney donated Panda Pangolins in Paris to the collection in 2015.) Peeples-Bright had a huge influence on Whitney, who was in her early 20s at the time of her stay. "I loved her aesthetics and remember visiting her home on College Avenue that she had decorated throughout with her paintings, even the light switch plates." - Susan Whitney. David Thauberger donated Mandrill Manatees in Manhattan to the collection in 1991. "It is important to build a collection of Saskatchewan art and include artists who had a big impact on the community, even if only in the province for a short time." - David Thauberger
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24 fisher golden acres 1961 62
Sanford Fisher, untitled (Golden Acres), acrylic on canvas, 1961-1962. Gift of Dwain, Darlene, Brian and Kelvin Erhardt, family of Laura and Henry Erhardt.
In 1961 Henry and Laura Erhardt decided to remodel the beer parlour in the Imperial Hotel they owned in Cupar, Saskatchewan. They contacted artist Sanford Fisher and commissioned him to paint a large harvest-themed mural on canvas for the space. The mural was so large that Fisher could only unroll a portion of the canvas at a time as he painted it. The resulting painting inspired the theme of the new beverage room, and both were named Golden Acres. The children of Laura and Henry bought the mural from the new hotel owners in 2010, removing it from the wall and storing it. In 2017 they generously donated the painting to the SK Arts Permanent Collection, including the cost of conservation to remove the years of smoke it had acquired during its time in the beverage room. Once re-stretched, the painting will be on display in the Saskatchewan Legislative Building. Sanford Fisher was born on the Gordon First Nation, near Punnichy in southeast Saskatchewan, in 1927. Entirely self-taught, he was a popular and prolific prairie artist, often painting scenes from his early life on the reserve and its surrounding landscape. Shortly after establishing his career as an artist, Fisher lost his painting arm in an accident. To provide for his family, he began painting with his other hand and soon was able to achieve the same popular realist style of his previous work. Often quite romantic in aesthetic, his painting included images of family life, farming and hunting on the reserve, and the prairie landscape. Sanford Fisher died in 1988, in Regina.
Sanford Fisher, untitled (Golden Acres), acrylic on canvas, 1961-1962. Gift of Dwain, Darlene, Brian and Kelvin Erhardt, family of Laura and Henry Erhardt.
In 1961 Henry and Laura Erhardt decided to remodel the beer parlour in the Imperial Hotel they owned in Cupar, Saskatchewan. They contacted artist Sanford Fisher and commissioned him to paint a large harvest-themed mural on canvas for the space. The mural was so large that Fisher could only unroll a portion of the canvas at a time as he painted it. The resulting painting inspired the theme of the new beverage room, and both were named Golden Acres. The children of Laura and Henry bought the mural from the new hotel owners in 2010, removing it from the wall and storing it. In 2017 they generously donated the painting to the SK Arts Permanent Collection, including the cost of conservation to remove the years of smoke it had acquired during its time in the beverage room. Once re-stretched, the painting will be on display in the Saskatchewan Legislative Building. Sanford Fisher was born on the Gordon First Nation, near Punnichy in southeast Saskatchewan, in 1927. Entirely self-taught, he was a popular and prolific prairie artist, often painting scenes from his early life on the reserve and its surrounding landscape. Shortly after establishing his career as an artist, Fisher lost his painting arm in an accident. To provide for his family, he began painting with his other hand and soon was able to achieve the same popular realist style of his previous work. Often quite romantic in aesthetic, his painting included images of family life, farming and hunting on the reserve, and the prairie landscape. Sanford Fisher died in 1988, in Regina.
Curatorial Statement
Since shortly after its inception in 1948, SK Arts (formerly the Saskatchewan Arts Board) has collected works of art and craft by Saskatchewan artists. The formation of SK Arts preceded the development of public art galleries and museums in the province. In the absence of such activity, they determined that our collection of original works of art would form the basis of a provincial collection. With the subsequent growth of public art galleries and museums in the province, it is now a significant and unique resource for institutions provincially, nationally and internationally.
The collection has grown to serve as a record of the development of art and craft in Saskatchewan. It currently includes more than 3,000 art and craft objects from 750 artists and represents the work of our province’s artists over the past seven decades. The collection includes paintings, drawings, textiles, prints, photographs, sculptures, ceramics, wood carving, jewelry, folk art, multi-media and contemporary and traditional Indigenous artworks. This includes art and craft created by emerging, mid-career and senior Saskatchewan artists. The goal of the Permanent Collection is to represent the contemporary art practices of artists within Saskatchewan for the purpose of public access.
Over the years many artists and collectors have been very generous with donations to the Permanent Collection. The collection has grown immensely through this generosity. In fact, more than 1000 of the artworks in the collection have been donated. The first artwork donated to the collection was a collage by Moose Jaw artist Joan Rankin in 1968. We welcome donations of artwork that will enrich the collection and help fill purchasing gaps. This exhibition provides an opportunity to showcase the generosity of artists and collectors who have contributed to the collection over the last 70 years.
Anyone may suggest work for our Permanent Collection through purchase, donation, or bequest.
For information on the donation process, please go to the link above or contact our registrar, Julia Krueger, at
Belinda Harrow
Collections Consultant
2021