Cree artist detailed everyday humanity
Cree painter Allen Sapp revealed the intimate daily lives of indigenous people in Saskatchewan during the Great Depression through works of quiet beauty that were recognized and celebrated in the art world.
Sapp (1928-2015) was a member of the Red Pheasant First Nation who first rose to national prominence in the late 1960s for his paintings of people engaged in work and play. Images of youngsters playing hockey in ordinary jeans and jackets, men in tweed caps driving teams of horses hauling logs or pitching hay, a mother with a headscarf and long skirt, rocking a baby in a traditional hammock all showed the ordinary humanity of people that most Canadians ignored or misunderstood.
Sapp’s paintings depicted his memories and claimed a space for indigenous reality in the art world. His work was shown in prominent galleries across Canada, the United States and the U.K.
He was made an officer of the Order of Canada, received an honorary doctorate degree from the University of Regina, the Governor General’s Award for illustrating a children’s book, the National Aboriginal Achievement Award, a Lifetime Award for Excellence from the Saskatchewan Arts Board, was elected to the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts and the Saskatchewan Award of Merit.
The City of North Battleford opened the Allen Sapp Gallery in 1989 featuring the collection of his patron, Dr. Allan Gonor, who was the first art aficionado to recognize the excellence of Sapp’s work.