Allen Sapp facts for kids

Allen Sapp was a famous Cree painter from Canada. He was born on January 2, 1928, and passed away on December 29, 2015. He lived in North Battleford, Saskatchewan.

Allen Sapp's art and his life story became very well known across Canada. His paintings often told personal stories. Many of them showed images of his beloved grandmother. His work and life have been featured in many books and TV shows.

Allen Sapp's Early Life

Allen Sapp was born on the Red Pheasant Reserve. This reserve is located south of the city of North Battleford. His mother became sick with tuberculosis and died when he was a teenager.

Allen was raised by his grandmother and grandfather. Their names were Albert and Maggie Soonias. As a child, Allen was often sick. He spent many hours resting in bed. His grandmother took great care of him. She also encouraged his love for drawing. She taught him about the traditional Cree ways of life.

He went to the Red Pheasant school for a while. But his grandfather needed his help on the farm. So, Allen left school. He stayed home to care for his grandmother. She passed away in 1963.

His Journey as an Artist

After his grandmother died, Allen Sapp moved to North Battleford. He wanted to become a full-time artist. He tried to sell his paintings by going door-to-door.

In 1966, he met Dr. Allan Gonor. Dr. Gonor saw Allen's amazing talent. He told Allen to paint what he knew best. This was life on the reserve where he grew up. Allen began painting his childhood memories. He often painted all night long.

Dr. Gonor helped Allen sell some paintings. They were bought by the Winnipeg Art Gallery. In 1969, 40 of his paintings were shown. They were part of an exhibition at the Robertson Galleries. By the 1970s, people knew his work across North America. His art was even known as far away as London, England.

Awards and Recognition

Allen Sapp received many important awards for his art.

• In 1986, he became an Officer of the Order of Canada. This award recognized his paintings of Native peoples and life on the reserve.
• In 1985, he received the Saskatchewan Order of Merit.
• In 1975, he was chosen to be part of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts.

Even with all his success, Allen Sapp faced challenges. He didn't have much formal education. He also wasn't very interested in money matters. This made it hard for him to manage his finances. He and his wife continued to live in a small home. It was located near North Battleford. Allen Sapp passed away peacefully in his sleep on December 29, 2015.

His paintings are featured in a special book. It's called Nokum: is My Teacher. David Bouchard wrote the book. The drum group Northern Cree provided music for it.

In 2003, David Bouchard wrote another book. It was called The Song Within My Heart. Allen Sapp illustrated this book. It tells the story of Allen's own childhood. For this book, Allen received a big award. It was the Governor General's Award for English-language children's illustration.

Today, there is a special gallery in North Battleford. It was created to display Allen Sapp's beautiful paintings.