Mendel Art Gallery facts for kids
Mendel Art Gallery and Civic Conservatory
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| Established | October 16, 1964 |
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| Dissolved | June 7, 2015 |
| Location | Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada |
| Type | Art museum and conservatory |
| Collection size | 7,500 |
| Visitors | 180,000 (2010) |
The Mendel Art Gallery was an important art and culture spot in City Park, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. It was open from 1964 to 2015. The gallery held a huge collection of over 7,500 pieces of art.
The city-owned Saskatoon Gallery and Conservatory Corporation ran the gallery. They also managed the Saskatoon Civic Conservatory, which was like the Mendel's partner. In 1999, the Mendel Art Gallery was one of the biggest public art galleries in Canada. It had the sixth highest number of visitors in the country. By 2010, more than 180,000 people visited it each year.
There were plans to make the Mendel Art Gallery bigger in the 2000s. However, the City of Saskatoon decided to build a brand new art museum instead. The Mendel Art Gallery closed its doors on June 7, 2015. Its art collection was moved to the new museum, called the Remai Modern. The Remai Modern opened in October 2017.
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The Story of the Mendel Art Gallery
The Mendel Art Gallery started from a place called the Saskatoon Art Centre. This art centre first opened in 1944. It was located in the Standard Trust Building. Over the years, it moved several times. Its last move before becoming the Mendel was in 1963.
How the Gallery Began
A man named Frederick "Fred" Salomon Mendel helped create the gallery. He came to Canada from Germany to escape difficult times. Fred Mendel started a company called Intercontinental Packers. In 1960, he decided to give money to Saskatoon to build a public art museum. This was to celebrate his 20 years in the city. The Province of Saskatchewan also gave money to match his gift.
In 1965, Fred Mendel also gave 15 artworks by the Group of Seven. These paintings became the first part of the gallery's permanent art collection.
Designing the Building
The gallery building itself was designed in a modern style. It opened on October 16, 1964. The design was chosen through a contest. A company from Winnipeg called Blankstein, Coop, Gillmor and Hanna won the contest. The Civic Conservatory was also built at the same time. This was suggested by the mayor at the time, S. L. Buckwold. The building was made even bigger in 1975.
On September 18, 2006, the gallery had some damage. There was a fire in the loading dock area. This caused smoke and water damage. The gallery reopened nine weeks later. After this, it focused more on art from all over Canada and the world.
A New Art Museum for Saskatoon
In 2009, the people in charge of the Mendel Art Gallery decided to build a new, larger art facility. The old building was getting too small. It also needed expensive updates. The new gallery was planned to be part of the Remai Arts Centre. It would be located in south downtown Saskatoon. This new gallery was named the Remai Modern Art Gallery of Saskatchewan. It was named after Frank and Ellen Remai, who gave a lot of money for it.
The design for the new gallery won an award in 2011. It was first planned to open in 2015. But the opening was later moved to 2017. The choice to close the Mendel Gallery and replace it was a big discussion. Some people, like former mayor Henry Dayday, thought the public should vote on the new gallery.
What Happened to the Mendel Building
The Mendel Art Gallery closed its doors on June 7, 2015. This was so the art could be moved to the Remai Modern. The City of Saskatoon decided that the Children's Discovery Museum would move into the old Mendel building. This happened after the new art gallery opened. In early 2019, the Children's Discovery Museum changed its name to Nutrien Wonderhub. It opened in the former gallery space in June 2019.
