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PRAIRIE PAGEANT Unparalleled Access to the Arts The History of the Organization of Saskatchewan Arts Councils by Lynn Gidluck | University of Regina 36 • PRAIRIE HISTORY ne of Saskatchewan’s best kept Director of Adult Education in secrets is its history of supporting the Saskatchewan Department of Education. Smith was assisted in and nurturing the arts. developing the Arts Board by prom- O inent Saskatchewan artists such as People outside major centres, living artists in 40 communities. The painter Ernest Lindner, University in rural, remote and northern School Touring Program had of Saskatchewan drama professor communities, have unparalleled three tours travel to 47 schools in Emrys Jones and University of access to performing and visual arts, 31 communities to present a total Saskatchewan English professor thanks largely to the Organization of 46 performances, and one 1-day Carlyle King.4 of Saskatchewan Arts Councils juggling residency. OSAC’s Visual These early leaders were deter- (OSAC). Jurisdictions across the and Media Arts Program toured mined that the Arts Board would country envy OSAC’s system of 20 distinct visual and media arts not be a government committee or community-based arts councils. exhibitions this year, booked for an advisory board to civil servants. OSAC is a member-based eligible display by 32 Arts Councils. A total While it would still answer to the provincial cultural organization, of 58 installations were viewed by provincial government, it was to funded by Saskatchewan Lotteries, community members, including be an arms-length board with its that offers programs and services through approximately 121 guided own budget. Government represen- in the visual arts and performing tours. While those numbers remain tatives, leaders in the fields of art, arts. Saskatchewan Lotteries is an impressive, the COVID Pandemic and ordinary citizens could all be important fundraiser for sport, resulted in the postponement of found on the board. Care was also culture and recreation in the prov- another 54 School Performances, taken to ensure that they came from ince. Proceeds from lottery ticket 22 Visual arts exhibitions and 50 across the province, not just from sales go into the Saskatchewan Community performances from Saskatoon and Regina.5 Lotteries Trust Fund for Sport, March through July 2020.2 The Arts Board rapidly launched Culture and Recreation, which While it was formally incorpo- a number of programs to stim- supports more than 12,000 groups rated as a non-profit organization ulate artistic growth and make that provide sport, culture and in 1968, OSAC’s roots trace back to the arts available to the people of recreation programming to more when the Saskatchewan Arts Board Saskatchewan. Outreach programs than 500,000 individual and family was created. The Saskatchewan Arts and tours aimed at smaller towns registrants each year, from over 800 Board, modelled after the British and villages, workshops to improve communities, rural municipalities Arts Council, was the first organi- artistic standards, and programs to and First Nations bands across the zation of its kind in Canada when raise public attention engaged the province. OSAC’s vision is that the the CCF government of Tommy community and got the attention arts are an integral part of the lives Douglas established it in 1948. of the media.6 By the late 1950s of Saskatchewan people. OSAC’s Long before most other provinces and early 1960s the Board began mission is to provide leadership followed suit with similar adminis- transitioning to an artist-develop- and assist the membership in their trative and funding bodies for the ing and grant-giving organization. endeavours to develop, promote and arts, the Saskatchewan Arts Board The Board did not entirely stop its program the visual and/or perform- helped launch programs to make the programming as some significant ing arts.1 arts available to its residents outside developments took place during the In the 2019/2020 season, the major centres and to stimulate 1960s, including the Festival of the Performing Arts Program presented artistic growth.3 The idea for the Arts.7 129 performances by 25 different board originated with David Smith, Facing page: World-renowned brass quintet, The Canadian Brass, wowed audiences when they toured the province for the Stars for Saskatchewan series in 1978–1979. The Canadian Brass was known for their unique performance attire of formal black suits with running shoes. Organization of Saskatchewan Arts Councils. No.4 • Winter 2021 37 Saskatchewan author W. O. arts accessible. Now it would be the Mitchell. Sparked by the persuasive local arts councils’ jobs to handle leadership of James Weir, who was this programming.11 president of the Weyburn Chamber For several years, the arts councils of Commerce in 1958–1959 and who worked independently in their own played an instrumental role in the communities, struggling to devel- development of the Saskatchewan op interest in the arts. Following Arts Board, meetings were held a resolution passed at a two-day that year to discuss the creation of a conference of the arts held in Regina municipal arts board. The result was in June 1968, the Organization of the enactment of a bylaw by the City Saskatchewan Arts Councils was Council of Weyburn to create the formed to represent existing arts Weyburn Arts Council—the first councils that were operating at the of its kind in Saskatchewan when it time. In 1969, with the assistance of was created in 1963.9 the Saskatchewan Arts Board, local Marguerite Gallaway was OSAC’s Following the success experi- arts councils began to send repre- first Executive Director. She served in this capacity from 1974 to 1987. enced by the Weyburn Arts Council sentatives to provincial meetings During these years the provincial and thanks to a growing interest where they could exchange ideas, office was located in her home city in the arts throughout the prov- discuss problems and console each of Estevan, Saskatchewan. The office ince, pressure was exerted on the other on mutual frustrations.12 moved to Regina when Gallaway Saskatchewan Arts Board by several “We found we were doing the same retired. Organization of Saskatchewan Arts communities for further infor- things,” said Colleen Bailey of Councils. mation on how to form municipal Yorkton. “Perhaps Yorkton brought The Festival of the Arts was arts councils. In response, the Arts introduced in 1962 in Regina in Board sponsored a conference in response to the popularity of the Weyburn in 1965 to discuss the performances and art tours that concepts and organization behind the Arts Board had organized. In the formation of arts councils and subsequent years, it was decided community planning in the arts.10 that the Festival of the Arts would In an interview with the Montreal be introduced to smaller centres so Star, Cal Abrahamson with the their residents could have some of Arts Board noted that: “We [were] the same opportunities to hear and honestly trying to work ourselves see performances that normally out of jobs we feel regional arts only went to the larger cities.8 In councils are better equipped to han- 1963, the festival moved to Weyburn dle.” The arts councils could ease in conjunction with the city’s the burden on the Arts Board and Jubilee celebrations. Rather than allow it to focus its energies in new organize the event itself, the Arts directions. The councils would also Board offered financial backing to take on some of the programming local groups that undertook most that the Department of Education The small prairie community of Estevan, of the planning and tasks related to had suggested the board move away Saskatchewan gained national hosting the festival. Over 500 people from. The early Arts Board had attention when Chatelaine magazine did a profile of Maureen Forrester’s attended the performance by the spent much of its time planning tour in 1975. The famous opera singer Regina Symphony Orchestra. One and developing concerts, lectures, helped launch OSAC’s first Stars for of the highlights of the festival was exhibitions and other programs Saskatchewan concert tour as their a reading and lecture by renowned designed to encourage and make the headlining performer. Chatelaine, March 1977, p. 40. 38 • PRAIRIE HISTORY Terrence Littletent (top) is a world champion grass and hoop dancer. Chancz Perry (bottom) is an award-winning producer, choreographer and hip-hop dancer. Their collaborative Hip Hop Hoop Dance is a cross-cultural fusion of First Nations hoop dance and contemporary North American hip hop that explores the topic of reconciliation through the art of movement. Organization of Saskatchewan Arts Councils. in the Winnipeg Ballet and the fol- with directly profiting from and she celebrated the first year on the lowing year Battleford would want encouraging gambling. They were job in 1975, OSAC membership had it. We realized that organizing a tour open to a strong lobby from the increased to fourteen.15 It was during made more sense.”13 amateur sport community to let Gallaway’s tenure that the highly Though volunteers did their best volunteers from the amateur sport successful and popular “Stars for to work together, the Arts Board rec- federation use the provincial lottery Saskatchewan” program was estab- ognized that OSAC needed some- as a fundraiser for sport, culture and lished. The program took world fa- one to take charge if it was going to recreation. OSAC was one of the mous artists to small Saskatchewan survive and flourish. Fortunately, first organizations to benefit from a communities and gave extensive just when the fledgling organization grant from the Lottery Trust Fund. performance opportunities to could benefit from it the most, a To this day provincial sport, culture developing artists. “Our method new source of funding for culture and recreation associations benefit of selecting a series consisted of emerged in the form of the provin- from a stable source of funding that channelling all information from cial lottery.

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