Updates on SK Arts programs and activities.
tansi,
As we observe National Indigenous History Month, I would like to take a moment – personally and on behalf of SK Arts – to acknowledge the rich cultures, resilient histories and profound contributions of Indigenous Peoples across this land.
As an Indigenous artist and the first Indigenous CEO in SK Arts’ 78-year history, this month carries deep personal meaning. It's a time to celebrate our stories, reclaim our narratives and amplify the voices that have long been silenced or overlooked. It is also a time to reflect on the work that still needs to be done – across industries, institutions, and platforms – to ensure Indigenous creators, storytellers and communities are not only seen but centred.
Art:
DJ Tapaquon, Mother Looks On (Her Good Old Stories), 2024
Photo credit: SK Arts
REGINA, SK, May 29, 2025 – On May 26, 2025, SK Arts announced the recipients for awards in the Arts of Celebration – CREATION in four categories at the Frank & Ellen Remai – Persephone Theatre in Saskatoon.
The second staging of the arts-focused campaign featured community-selected artists and arts organizations in the music and theatre disciplines. Following the recommendations, the community voted for one artist or organization in each category and discipline to receive a cash award to further their art practice. The recipients with the most votes were announced amid recognition and celebrated at the concluding event.
SK Arts is saddened to hear that Doug Townsend has passed away. Doug was a talented photographer and a prominent member of the arts community in Saskatchewan. He was involved with the Photographers Gallery in Saskatoon, where he was a Curator for several years. He also worked with the Saskatchewan Arts Board as a visual arts consultant in Regina and Saskatoon until retirement.
SK Arts is deeply grateful for Doug's contributions during his tenure with the Arts Board, where his dedication and passion permeated the arts community and colleagues.
SK Arts is seeking expressions of interest (EOI) and nominations for professional artists or arts professionals to join our Board of Directors. Interested applicants can read more about board member roles, review relevant governance policies and submit their EOIs using the fillable PDF form on our website.
Submit completed PDF forms to
SK Arts is a Crown Agency that 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 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.