Internationally renowned Saskatoon artist Douglas Bentham's sculpture, Autumn Song, was recently installed in Martensville outside of the Martensville Athletic Pavillion.
"It's thrilling to now have the sculpture refurbished and situated in such a public location," Bentham says. "It will be enjoyed by many throughout the seasons as it graces this dynamic recreational complex. And, if embraced by the community, it can become a positive symbol for the City of Martensville's progressive attitude and ambition."
Bentham created Autumn Song in a one-week period in 1970, during a sculpture symposium organized by the Mendel Art Gallery. The piece was purchased shortly afterward by the Saskatchewan Arts Board's Permanent Collection and was also displayed in Bentham's ten-year survey exhibition, Getting to Now, at the MacKenzie Art Gallery in 1980.
Bentham has maintained an international reputation as a major practitioner of abstract, constructivist sculpture for more than 40 years. He has presented over 50 solo exhibitions across Canada, and his commissioned works grace many outdoor settings across the nation, notably a signature stainless steel sculpture, Unfurled, 2006, in Saskatoon, and the recent installation of the painted steel sculpture Garland, 2008, on the campus of the University of Ontario Institute of Technology. In 2016, his piece, Skater's Arch, will be installed outside of Edmonton's new downtown stadium. For more on Bentham, visit www.douglasbentham.com.
The Arts Board's Permanent Collection includes over 3,000 works of more than 600 artists, and represents the work of Saskatchewan artists over the past six decades. Its goal is to represent the contemporary art practices of artists and make their artwork accessible to the public. For more, visit the Permanent Collection page.
