Experience the Mackenzie Art Gallery like never before
Did you know that Saskatchewan’s largest art gallery is located in Regina’s Wascana Park? That’s right, the Mackenzie Art Gallery has a huge collection of artworks, including an outdoor sculpture garden that’s part of its permanent collection.
Visitors can explore and enjoy a diverse set of exhibits over the winter months at the Mackenzie.
Home Economics: 150 Years of Canadian Hooked Rugs is on display until January 6, 2019 and spotlights 86 hooked rugs from the Textile Museum of Canada. John Hampton, the gallery’s director of programs, describes the exhibit as “the evolution of hooked rugs as a necessity, a commodity and an art form.”
Punk Orientalism is on display until February 17, 2019 and is curated by Sara Raza (who has curated for the Guggenheim Museum in New York City). Produced especially for the Mackenzie, Punk Orientalism is the first show to explore post-soviet contemporary art from Central Asia, Caucasus, Iran and the Middle East in-depth. The exhibit features more than 27 works from the late 1970s through to today – including photography, video, sculpture and installation pieces.
Garry Neill Kennedy: Ya Ummi, Ya Ummi... is on display until January 27, 2019. In Kennedy’s exhibit, the Canadian artist uses 13 large-scale canvases to address the experiences of Omar Khadr, a Canadian who was arrested in 2002 and charged in the death of a US Army Sergeant following a firefight in Afghanistan. Hampton describes the Kennedy exhibit as “sober but with a dignity and beauty that brings a sense of hope to the subject matter.”
Outside, a newly commissioned artwork by Cree artist Duane Linklater is entitled Kâkikê / Forever. Linklater’s seminal artwork is installed on the façade of the gallery’s T.C. Douglas building.
In other good news, this past August the Mackenzie announced two major gifts to the art gallery. The first was $25 million from an anonymous donor and the largest donation in the gallery’s history. By creating a new endowment in perpetuity for the Mackenzie, this gift will provide 12 per cent of the gallery’s annual operating budget (on average).
The $25 million has been endowed through the South Saskatchewan Community Foundation (SSCF). The organization will manage the funds and disburse earned income to the Mackenzie on an annual basis.
In addition, a six-figure donation and bequest from local collector and philanthropist Lyn Goldman will be split between the Mackenzie’s acquisitions fund and ongoing programming. Goldman’s generous gift was made in memory of her brother, the late Canadian artist Tony Thorn. Goldman is a long-time supporter of the Mackenzie.
“These two major gift announcements reflect the confidence of our donors in our executive director and CEO Anthony Kiendl, the gallery’s Board of Trustees and our overall vision for the gallery of engaging people in transformative experiences of the world through art,” says director of communications Deborah Rush.
When asked about the emergence of the Remai Modern in Saskatoon and the publicity surrounding its opening, Rush remarks “It’s a total positive and we all win. As the saying goes, high tides raise all boats. Anytime art and art galleries in Saskatchewan are part of the conversation, it’s wonderful.”
The Mackenzie continues to have an ongoing focus on Indigenous culture and diversity. “We strive to have Indigenous artwork on display at all times. We aim for a comprehensive view of Saskatchewan art, as well as being representative of Canada. The Mackenzie actually has one of the longest histories in Canada (and the world) of exhibiting Indigenous art as contemporary art,” says Hampton.
The Mackenzie also has a new café cleverly called Craft Services with refreshments for sale ranging from chai lattes to kombucha.
During the afternoon on Sunday, Dec. 9 is the gallery’s Family Holiday Celebration and it is open to all. Activities will include artist demos of woven holiday ornaments, a guided tour of the Home Economics exhibit and a Rainbow powwow dance troupe performance. A more adult-oriented winter solstice celebration will take place on Friday, Dec. 21, complete with hot chocolate and viewing the Linklater artwork.
The hours of the Mackenzie and its Gallery Shop are: Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Thursday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Sunday and holidays 12 noon to 5:30 pm. Interactive gallery tours are available each Thursday at 7 p.m. To learn more, visit www. mackenzieartgallery.ca.