Updates on SK Arts programs and activities.
SK Arts will host one-hour information sessions in North Battleford, Saskatoon and Online for artists interested in submitting to the Permanent Collection Purchase Program Open Call. For more information, please contact Consultant Belinda Harrow at
The portal opened for submissions on April 1, 2025 and will close on May 12, 2025. The next public open call following the 2025 call will be in 2027.
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SK Arts is thrilled to unveil the SK Arts' 2025 Arts of Celebration - Creation artists! This year's showcase highlights the incredible music and theatre talent that you, the arts community, put forward for recognition and celebration. These artists, artistic leaders and arts organizations bring unique perspectives, skillsets and stories, capturing the essence of celebration, culture, and artistic expression.
The campaign aims to highlight the abundance of our collective experience, diversity, active work and achievements in a shared journey of creativity. With powerful narratives, they invite us to indulge and explore their work and the transformative impact of the arts across the province.
To assist in furthering and enhancing artistic practice, SK Arts will provide cash gifts to some recipients based on voting results: two in each discipline (music and theatre) for the Emerging Professional Artists, Established Artists and Arts Leaders and Organization, Festivals and Collectives categories and one in the Aspiring Youth category.
SK Arts is saddened to hear of the passing of eminent Saskatchewan sculptor and arts educator Victor Cicansky. Vic was an influential art community figure whose work has left an enduring mark on the art world, particularly for his distinguishable garden-produce sculptures. His work and contributions to the field, alongside other renowned artists like Wilfe Perreault and the late Joe Fafard, will inspire future generations.
SK Arts is fortunate to be a part of preserving Cicancsky's work and is home to 17 pieces – from 1967 to 2019 – in the Permanent Collection.
Image of Victor Cicansky sculpture, The Pantry Shelf, 1979, SK Arts Permanent Collection
REGINA, January 17, 2025 – SK Arts recently announced that recommendations are open for its 2025 Arts of Celebration campaign and event. Over the next three years, the agency will focus on celebrating the province’s best and most promising artists and organizations in specific disciplines, starting with theatre and music in 2025. In future years, the event will celebrate visual and literary artists and organizations in 2026 and dance, media and multidisciplinary disciplines in 2027.
The 2025 theme, Creation, will honour the arts community in the following categories:
Following the recommendation period, the arts community will vote for their favourite artists, so stay tuned for more information on that. Artists with the most votes will be announced and receive cash awards in their respective disciplines and categories at the May event.
SK Arts is inviting the arts community to meet and connect with our new CEO, Lisa Bird-Wilson, at receptions in Regina on January 9, 2025, at The Artesian and Saskatoon on January 10, 2025, at The Avenue Room. We look forward to the opportunity to share Lisa's vision and her connection to the arts and for us to continue to strengthen our creative community together.
Regina
When: January 9, 2025, 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Where: The Artesian, 2627 13th Ave, Regina, SK S4T 1N2
Saskatoon
When: January 10, 2025, 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Where: The Avenue Room, 119 3 Ave S, Saskatoon, SK S7K 1L7
Provincial arts funding agency SK Arts is pleased to announce the appointment of Lisa Bird-Wilson as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective November 18, 2024. Lisa is a Saskatchewan Métis and Cree writer whose award-winning novel, Probably Ruby, was shortlisted for the Governor General’s Literary Award and the Amazon First Novel Award.
Bird-Wilson joins SK Arts – a crown agency under the Government of Saskatchewan's Ministry of Parks, Culture and Sport portfolio – from her previous role as the CEO of the Gabriel Dumont Institute of Native Studies and Applied Research Inc., Canada’s first Métis post-secondary education and cultural institute, where she has over 25 years of experience with the institute and authored An Institute of Our Own: A History of the Gabriel Dumont Institute, a book chronicling the institute’s history.
This August, the SK Arts Programs team will host in-situ sessions in southeast Saskatchewan at various locations, with in-person and virtual sessions. Program Consultants will be available for information and grant writing workshops at a number of locations.
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REGINA, JULY 22, 2024 - Provincial arts funding agency SK Arts has begun its search for a new CEO to lead the agency into its next phase of growth and development. Last May, former CEO Michael Jones announced his June 2024 retirement after almost nine years with the agency. The agency is seeking a highly motivated, results-oriented individual to fill the role of Chief Executive Officer. The Saskatchewan Arts Board, operating as SK Arts, provides grants, programs and services to individuals and groups whose activities impact the arts in Saskatchewan and ensures that opportunities exist for Saskatchewan residents to experience all art forms.
SK Arts is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of renowned conductor Victor Sawa. Victor worked with the Regina Symphony Orchestra (RSO) for almost twenty years and spent time with the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra (SSO) between 2010 and 2015. Victor's passion for classical music and dedication touched many lives and will not be soon forgotten. We are thinking about his family, friends, and colleagues during this challenging time. Victor's legacy will continue to inspire and resonate with all who had the privilege of experiencing his gifts.
SK Arts’ CEO, Michael Jones, has announced his intention to retire after almost nine years with the agency in order to focus on freelance consulting work and his artistic practice.
Michael says, “I have had the honour of getting to know the Saskatchewan arts community over the past nine years, and I continue to be inspired by their work. I have had the pleasure of working with a dedicated staff and Board, and I want to thank them all for the support they have shown me through my time here. I would also like to thank the Honourable Laura Ross, Minister of Parks, Culture and Sport, for her support both of SK Arts and of me personally.”