Nowhere else in the world will you find a larger or more comprehensive collection of Saskatchewan visual art than in the SK Arts Permanent Collection. This collection includes approximately 3,800 works of 850 artists and represents the work of our province's artists over the past eight decades.
Goals of SK Arts' Permanent Collection
Through the development and maintenance of a provincial collection of cultural belongings and original works of Saskatchewan art and related archives, SK Arts intends:
- To serve as custodians of the stories of Saskatchewan artists by collecting visual arts and craft, primarily for the purpose of public access;
- To make the work of Saskatchewan artists accessible to the public through loan, rental, public art installations, and the sharing of images and information;
- To provide a unique resource in support of the larger Saskatchewan arts ecology, including working with Indigenous Elders and communities, artists, museums, art galleries, researchers, curators, students and collectors and commercial art galleries;
- To celebrate a representative history of artmaking in the province;
- To honour and acknowledge the legacy of artists at all stages of their professional careers and to provide financial support to Saskatchewan artists through fees for commission, purchase, exhibition and/or reproduction; and
- To contribute to the realization of the mandate and strategic priorities of SK Arts.
You will find everything from paintings, drawings, textiles, prints, photographs and sculptures in the collection. This wide variety of styles and media demonstrates the diversity and talent of Saskatchewan artists. Artwork from the collection is frequently included in exhibitions throughout the province and country, is loaned to organizations and is also rented to workplaces through our Art Rental program.
Artist Contact Info Updates
Have you recently moved?
If you are an artist with work held in the SK Arts Permanent Collection and your contact information has changed, please take a moment to complete the form below. This information helps us contact you if we need to issue exhibition or copyright-related payments.
FAQs
Can the public view work in the Permanent Collection?
The work in the Permanent Collection is available to individuals conducting research upon request, and by appointment. The collection is accessible to the public through loan, rental, special partnerships and installation in public buildings.
What is the annual budget for Permanent Collection acquisitions?
The budget is one per cent (1%) of the legislated appropriation to SK Arts. For example, if the General Revenue Fund allocation to SK Arts for a given year were $6 million, then the acquisition budget would be $60,000. In addition to that 1%, a special purchase may be made using funds from the SK Arts Endowment Fund.
How many items are added to the Collection in a typical year?
Approximately 30-60 items are added each year.
What are the criteria for inclusion in the Permanent Collection?
Learn more about submitting work to the Permanent Collection by reading the Permanent Collection Submissions Guidelines. Contact the Permanent Collection staff for more information at (306) 510-1183, 800-667-7526 or
Photo credit: Laura St. Pierre, Vivaria (crop), 2018, inkjet print. Photo courtesy of the artist.