“I would like the resulting building to be one of such character and personality, even if a controversial one, that we could all take pride.”

Fred Mendel

 

The Mendel Art Gallery’s founder, Frederick (Fred) Salomon Mendel, was a successful businessman and art collector who established Intercontinental Packers Limited in Saskatoon in 1940 after encroaching Nazi threats forced him and his family to flee Europe and start a new life in Canada. In the early 1960s, he initiated the building of a public art museum for Saskatoon as a way to celebrate the success of his meat packing business, and to thank the citizens of Saskatoon for their support.

 

Fred Mendel made a generous financial donation to the City of Saskatoon, which was matched by the Province of Saskatchewan, and a beautiful location along the South Saskatchewan River was selected as the site for the future art museum. A national design competition attracted 48 entries from architects across the country, and was won by the Winnipeg firm of Blankstein, Coop, Gillmor and Hanna.

 

Opened on October 16, 1964, the Mendel Art Gallery–one of the finest examples of Modernist architecture in Saskatchewan–stands as a testament to Fred Mendel's philanthropic spirit, civic responsibility, passion for visual art, and progressive vision.

 

In 1965, Fred Mendel donated a second gift: 13 paintings by the Group of Seven and their contemporaries from his private collection. These works established the foundation of the Mendel's Permanent Collection, which today numbers over 5,000 works of art, the largest public art collection in Saskatchewan.

 

In 1975, a modest building addition, with funding from the federal government, allowed the institution to assume additional operational capabilities. The Mendel Art Gallery began hosting, producing, and touring art exhibitions, both regionally and nationally, in recognition of its newly designated status as an Associate Museum of the National Museums of Canada.

 

Today, the Mendel Art Gallery is an important community and heritage landmark, an invaluable educational resource, one of the most popular and culturally significant tourist destinations in Saskatoon and Saskatchewan, and is among the foremost art galleries in the country.

 

The Mendel's national reputation for excellence in visual arts presentation, programming and collection development not only acknowledges gallery founder Fred Mendel's vision of the importance of art to the quality of life, but also pays tribute to the incredible support of the Gallery's many friends and stakeholders, and to the commitment and hard work of the Gallery's Board of Trustees and professional staff throughout its history.

 

The growth in size and diversification of our Permanent Collection, exhibitions, public programs and audiences over the past 45 years has prompted Gallery to embark on a $51 million new facility development.

 

We are committed to bringing the Mendel to new heights of cultural relevance, community service and artistic excellence—all of which will enhance the city of Saskatoon’s quality of life.

 

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