The Saskatchewan Arts Board is an arms-length funding agency that provides support to artists, arts organizations and communities. Established in 1948, it was the first agency of its kind in Canada, predating the

Canada Council for the Arts The Canada Council for the Arts (french: Conseil des arts du Canada), commonly called the Canada Council, is a Crown corporation established in 1957 as an arts council of the Government of Canada. It acts as the federal government's principal in ...

by nine years. The Arts Board has offices in Regina and

Saskatoon Saskatoon () is the largest city in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It straddles a bend in the South Saskatchewan River in the central region of the province. It is located along the Trans-Canada Yellowhead Highway, and has served as ...

. In May 2020, the agency changed its name to SK Arts. The Arts Board is governed by ''The Arts Board Act, 1997'', and funded by the

Government of Saskatchewan The Government of Saskatchewan (french: Gouvernement de la Saskatchewan) refers to the provincial government of the province of Saskatchewan. Its powers and structure are set out in the Constitution Act, 1867. In modern Canadian use, the term "g ...

through the Ministry of Parks, Culture and Sport. The Arts Board receives additional support from the Saskatchewan Lotteries Trust Fund for Sport, Culture and Recreation as a result of the Arts Board's partnership with SaskCulture Inc. Although officially appointed by the Lieutenant Governor-in-Council, one-third of the members of the Arts Board's board of directors is chosen from a list of nominees provided by the arts community. This process assists in ensuring the Arts Board is representative of the thoughts, ideas and directions of the community itself. The board reports to the province's minister responsible for the Saskatchewan Arts Board.

History

The Saskatchewan Arts Board was established in 1948 by the Order-in-Council, created out of a larger plan from the government to enable cultural growth in the area. They initially ran arts programs, such as outreach programs and tours.

Funding and Programs

The Arts Board offers several funding opportunities and programs for individuals and organizations, including: * Accessibility Fund * Artists in Communities * Artists in Schools * Independent Artists Program * Indigenous Peoples Art and Artists * Micro-Grant Program * Prince Edward Arts Scholarship * Professional Arts Organizations Program * SaskFestivals The Arts Board also administers grant and award programs in partnership with other agencies, such as the Access Copyright Foundation and the Saskatchewan Foundation for the Arts.

Permanent Collection

The Arts Board's Permanent Collection is a collection of art by Saskatchewan artists. It includes approximately 3,000 works of art in all media by 750 artists and is the largest body of work by

Saskatchewan Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a province in western Canada, bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North ...

artists in the world. The Arts Board makes the Permanent Collection accessible by bringing it to workplaces, schools and communities. Works form the collection are loaned to galleries and other venues around the province and country for exhibitions, film production, broadcast and publication opportunities. The Arts Board's Art Rental program brings artwork into the office. Art Rental clients are Saskatchewan government departments, agencies, crown corporations, boards, commissions and the corporate sector. Non-profit organizations and institutions may also rent art from the Collection.

Saskatchewan Arts Awards

In 1988, the Arts Board established the Lifetime Award for Excellence in the Arts. The award honours Saskatchewan individuals whose accomplishments have had a major impact on the arts provincially, nationally and internationally. In 2004, the awards program expanded and the Arts Board established the Lieutenant Governor's Arts Awards to recognize the achievements made by individuals, groups and organizations in the arts. In 2016, it was renamed the Saskatchewan Arts Awards. In addition to the award, all recipients receive a cash prize. Award categories include Lieutenant Governor's Lifetime Achievement, Emerging Artist, Leadership - Individual, Leadership - Organization, Arts and Learning, and Artistic Excellence.

Partnerships

* Legislative Building 100th Anniversary Artist Residency The Legislative Building Artist in Residence Program was part of the province's year-long celebration in 2012 of the 100th anniversary of the

Saskatchewan Legislative Building The Saskatchewan Legislative Building is located in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, and houses the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan. History The Saskatchewan Legislative Building was built between 1908 and 1912 in the Beaux Arts style to a de ...

. It was developed in partnership with the Arts Board. The eight participants explored the history and significance of the building through their own artistic disciplines. Each artist hosted a community engaged project to encourage

cultural exchange Cultural diplomacy is a type of public diplomacy and soft power that includes the "exchange of ideas, information, art, language and other aspects of culture among nations and their peoples in order to foster mutual understanding". The purpose ...

at the building and created a work of art that is displayed in one of the alcoves in the Rotunda. The artwork was unveiled in December 2012. * Artists in the Community The Artists in the Community project ran from October 2006 to September 2007. It was presented by the Arts Board in collaboration with the City of Saskatoon, with the financial support of the

Government of Canada The government of Canada (french: gouvernement du Canada) is the body responsible for the federal administration of Canada. A constitutional monarchy, the Crown is the corporation sole, assuming distinct roles: the executive, as the ''Crown-i ...

through the Cultural Capitals of Canada program of the

Department of Canadian Heritage The Department of Canadian Heritage, or simply Canadian Heritage (french: Patrimoine canadien), is the department of the Government of Canada that has roles and responsibilities related to initiatives that promote and support "Canadian identity ...

. Eight community-based residencies were selected from a broad variety of sectors within Saskatoon. Organizational staff, volunteers, community members, managers, and organization clientele had the unique opportunity to work with an artist for six to nine months. * Art at Work In 2004, the Art At Work project was presented by the Arts Board, in collaboration with the City of Regina, with the financial support of the Cultural Capitals of Canada program.

100 Years of Heart: Celebrating Saskatchewan's Centennial

The Arts Board was involved in celebrating Saskatchewan's Centennial in 2005 with two important projects: * Centennial Commissions Project: To celebrate the Saskatchewan Centennial, the Arts Board commissioned the design, creation, and installation of four large-scale, permanent, outdoor artworks in four Saskatchewan communities:

Estevan Estevan is the eighth-largest city in Saskatchewan, Canada. It is approximately north of the Canada–United States border. The Souris River runs by the city. This city is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Estevan No. 5. History The ...

(''Spinning Prairie'' by Jefferson Little);

Lloydminster Lloydminster is a city in Canada which has the unusual geographic distinction of straddling the provincial border between Alberta and Saskatchewan. The city is incorporated by both provinces as a single city with a single municipal administrat ...

(''Sky Dance'' by Douglas Bentham);

Yorkton Yorkton is a city located in south-eastern Saskatchewan, Canada. It is about 450 kilometres north-west of Winnipeg and 300 kilometres south-east of Saskatoon and is the sixth largest city in the province. As of 2017 the census population of the ...

(''Doorways to Opportunity'' by Lionel Peyachew) and LaRonge (''Portage'' by Chris St. Amand). * Saskatchewan Centennial Mural Project: The Province of Saskatchewan designated funding for the creation of a large

mural A mural is any piece of graphic artwork that is painted or applied directly to a wall, ceiling or other permanent substrate. Mural techniques include fresco, mosaic, graffiti and marouflage. Word mural in art The word ''mural'' is a Spani ...

in the Saskatchewan Legislative Building. The painting was installed in the building rotunda. Roger Jerome, a Métis artist from

Air Ronge Air Ronge ( 2006 population 1,032) is a northern village in Northern Saskatchewan, Canada, 235 km north of Prince Albert. It lies on the western shore of Lac la Ronge, and is 3 km south of La Ronge and Lac La Ronge Provincial Park. Acc ...

, designed and painted the mural, ''Northern Tradition and Transition''.

Executive Secretaries/Executive Directors/Chief Executive Officers

Source:Saskatchewan Arts Board annual reports, 1948 to present
1948-1956 – Norah McCullough 1956-1957 – Norah McCullough (on leave); Blowden Davies (acting) 1958 – Florence James (acting); Donald Harvey 1959-1960 – Donald Harvey 1961-1968 – N. George Shaw 1968-1971 – Cal D. Abrahamson 1972-1976 – Vern Bell 1977-1982/83 – Joy Cohnstaedt 1983/84-1984/85 – Kathleen Kaple 1985/86-1990/91 – Wayne Cunningham 1990/91 – Hans Boers (acting) 1991/92-1997/98 – Valerie Creighton 1998/99-2009/10 – Jeremy Morgan 2010/11-2013/14 – David Kyle 2014/15 – Jeremy Morgan (interim); Ranjan Thakre (interim) 2015/16 to present – Michael Jones

Board Chairs

Source:
1948-49 – Steward Basterfield 1950-64 – W.A. Riddell 1965-67 – D.M. McPherson 1968-69 – R. Usher 1970-71 – J.H. Gould 1972-74 – James Weir 1975-77 – Paul J. Rezansoff 1978/79-1979/80 – Raymond J. Marcotte 1980/81 – Frances Morrison 1981/82-1982/83 – Patrick Adams 1983/84-1989/90 – Barbara Pollock 1989/90 – Betty Barootes (acting) 1990/91 – Sharon Maher 1991/92 – Paul Good 1992/93-1993/94 – Wayne Schmalz 1994/95-1997/98 – Cheryl Kloppenburg 1998/99 – Frank Proto 1999/2000-2005/06 – Colleen Bailey 2006/07-2007/08 – Ken Sagal 2008/09-2012/13 – Byrna Barclay 2013/14-2016/17 – Pamella Acton 2017/18 – Pamella Acton; Meghan McCreary; Rachel Heidecker (acting) 2018/19 to present – Jason Aebig

External links

SK Arts

Arts Board Act, 1997
* Klages, Gregory. 2011.
By Artists, for Artists? Creating the Saskatchewan Arts Board and Canada Council
" ''Saskatchewan History'' 64/1 (Spring/Summer), pgs. 38-49.

References

Riddell, W.A. 1979. ''Cornerstone For Culture: A History of the Saskatchewan Arts Board from 1948 to 1978''. Regina: Saskatchewan Arts Board. {{Authority control Arts councils of Canada Culture of Saskatchewan Organizations based in Saskatchewan Arts organizations established in 1948