Allen Sapp Gallery

Upon the construction of the new library, the debate as to what should be done with the Carnegie Library began. It quickly became apparent that the best use of this Heritage building was to turn it into a Gallery to house the art of the famed Cree painter Allen Sapp, a long-time resident of the city. The collection that the gallery was to house was that of Dr. Allan Gonor, the man responsible for Sapp's rise to fame. The final arrangements for the creation of this gallery were complicated by the untimely death of Dr. Gonor in 1985, and it was only through the dedication and cooperation of Mrs. Gonor that the gallery became a reality.

The result was to approach the renovation by gutting the entire building, leaving only the brick shell and the original, unique entrance. Stairway and elevator shafts were added at the building's rear by creating a modest extension that matched the old brick and awning styles. The interior gallery space was divided into three basic areas: exhibit space, vaults, and office reception area. The first two required state-of-the-art environment controls to ensure stable and consistent levels of heating/cooling, humidity, and lighting, all controlled by computer. Accommodations were made for the incorporation of large-screen A/V presentations right into the exhibit space. As well, a sunken track lighting system was installed for safe but high-impact lighting of the art.

Finally, the exhibit area was left open and spacious, painted in soft pastel colours creating a warm modern feel, yet compatible with the traditional architecture of the building. Large screen slides and video presentations were an important aspect of the gallery's interpretive capacity, so large screens and sound systems were incorporated into the design of the building. The result was a building that was effective in every aspect.

We acknowledge that the land currently known as the Province of Saskatchewan is comprised of portions of lands from Treaties 2, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 10, the territories of the Nêhiyawak, Anihšināpēk, Dene, Dakota, Lakota, and Nakota nations, and the homeland of the Métis.

Virtual Tour.

https://www.allensapp.com/about/gallery_virtual_tour.html