2007 Annual Report Mendel Art Gallery

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President’s Message It is a great pleasure and honour to serve the Mendel as Board Chair and President. I want first of all to express the appreciation of all of my Board colleagues—indeed of the entire Mendel community—to our Past-Chair Wade Heggie, whose dedicated work on the Gallery’s behalf really has made a difference. I also welcome our four new Board colleagues, Jack Hillson and Alex Sokalski appointed by City Council, as well as Linda Langille and Dennis Yee elected by the Gallery membership. Your Board of Trustees has moved forward this year in revamping its many existing policies to make them consistent with currrent governance practices. The various Board committees (see page 2) continue to do an exceptional job in contributing to the work of the whole Board. I wish to publicly acknowledge and thank the Chairs of these committees and all of the trustees for their contributions of time and expertise. The Board held a day-long retreat in September at Wanuskewin Heritage Park. That successful event provided an opportunity for the Board to review all aspects of the Mendel and develop an action list of key items that require priority attention. The Board values highly the support of the Gallery’s volunteers and members. The Board itself is a group of volunteers who have the direct responsibility for the Gallery’s mission, mandate, and vision, and for ensuring their effective implementation. The Board is committed to continue to provide direction and make decisions that are in the best interests of the Gallery and support the success of the Mendel now and in the great future that awaits the Gallery. The diverse exhibitions and public programs of the Mendel Art Gallery again attracted a wide spectrum of enthusiastic public interest and acclaim in 2007. This annual report represents a detailed accountability of the many ways in which the Mendel has fulfilled its mandate and generated the cultural return on investment of the primary organizations that fund the Gallery: the City of Saskatoon, the Saskatchewan Arts Board, Saskatchewan Lotteries, The Canada Council for the Arts, and the Department of Canadian Heritage. The Mendel appreciates in a special way the essential support provided by the City of Saskatoon in the form of the annual operating grant. These funds represent in a tangible way the direct support by the citizens of Saskatoon for their art gallery, and impose at the same time an obligation for people to value and respect the Mendel. In February 2007 Saskatoon City Council confirmed its commitment to fund the future increased Dr. Art Knight, Chair & President, Mendel Art Gallery Board of Trustees operating costs of the expanded Gallery, estimated at just over eight hundred thousand dollars per year. As the planning and design work for the renovation and expansion project continued during the year, City Council also agreed to provide an additional advance on their commitment of $4,625,000 for the project. This supplementary advance, totaling three hundred thousand dollars, will cover the cost of bringing the final plans to the tender-ready stage, and to determine the compliance of the project with the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standard for environmental sustainability. The Board is committed to working in close collaboration with City Council and the civic administration not only to bring this project to a successful conclusion but also to ensure the effective operation of the Gallery now and in the future, on behalf of the citizens of our community. The year also saw the beginning of a leadership transition for the Gallery. At the end of October, Mr. Terry Graff resigned as Executive Director & CEO. The Board has engaged The Caldwell Partners to conduct a national search for a new Executive Director. Our objective is to have a new Executive Director in place by July 2008. The Expanding the Vision renovation and expansion project continues to be a key area of focus for the Gallery. The announcement on July 18, 2007 that The Mendel Art Gallery gratefully acknowledges funding from: Mendel Art Gallery 2007 Annual Report
Board of Trustees the Province of Saskatchewan will provide a grant of $4,092,877 for the project was pivotal through its Building Communities program. This funding complements the $4,625,000 foundation funding from the City of Saskatoon. Taken together, this support from two levels of government casts the project in a new and positive light. Our vision for an expanded Mendel now has significant substance, and has the momentum to move us towards accomplishing all that will be required to bring us to the day when the new gallery will open. In September the Gallery submitted—in consultation with the City of Saskatoon—an application to the Cultural Spaces Program of Heritage Canada for $6,610,549. As well, the Mendel hired nationally-experienced private sector fund raiser Darryl Peck as Capital Campaign Manager. The campaign began with a direct focus on major donors, and we are pleased with the positive response that has been received. For the thousands of visitors who cross our threshold each year, and those who participate in our public programs, the Mendel provides an experience that enhances lives and is appreciated by many. The Gallery will be positioned to achieve its objectives much more effectively in the renovated and expanded Mendel. The vastly improved physical environment, a more rewarding visitor experience, a greatly enhanced exhibition capability, a venue for special events, and a greatly improved environment for the Gallery’s permanent collection will all be important. What will be most important, however, is the diversity and quality of exhibitions and programs that will be experienced, appreciated, and enjoyed by all the individuals and families who will continue in even greater numbers to partake of the Mendel. The Board is very conscious of our responsibility to steward the enormous community resource that is the Mendel Art Gallery, and to ensure its successful continued operation. My Board colleagues and I have great respect and admiration for the highly professional and dedicated staff that serve the Mendel as we move forward to the bright promise of 2008. Respectfully submitted, Dr. Art Knight Chair and President Board of Trustees of The Saskatoon Gallery and Conservatory Corporation (Mendel Art Gallery) Dr. Arthur Knight, Chair and President John Hampton, Vice-Chair R. Wade Heggie, Past Chair James Leach, Treasurer Barbara Beavis, Secretary Carol Cisecki Dr. Jo-Anne Dillon (term completed March 2007) Jack Hillson Murray J. Hinds (resigned February 2007) Brent Klause, Q.C. Jocelyne Kost Linda Langille Councillor Tiffany Paulsen Alexander Sokalski Councillor Gordon Wyant Dennis Yee Eva Mendel Miller, Honourary Chair Standing Committees Executive Committee Dr. Art Knight, Chair John Hampton, Vice-Chair R. Wade Heggie, Past Chair James Leach, Treasurer Barbara Beavis, Secretary Audit & Finance Committee James Leach, Chair John Hampton R. Wade Heggie, Past Chair Dr. Art Knight, ex-officio Collections Committee Brent Klause, Q.C., Chair Barbara Beavis Jack Hillson Jocelyne Kost Alexander Sokalski Dr. Art Knight, ex-officio Facility Development Committee Barbara Beavis, Chair Brent Klause, Q.C. Linda Langille Dennis Yee Dr. Art Knight, ex-officio Human Resources Committee Carol Cisecki, Chair Linda Langille Councillor Tiffany Paulsen Dennis Yee Dr. Art Knight, ex-officio Governance Committee John Hampton, Chair Carol Cisecki Alexander Sokalski Councillor Gordon Wyant Dr. Art Knight, ex-officio Mendel Art Gallery 2007 Annual Report
Page 1 and 2: The Saskatoon Gallery and Conservat
Page 3: Mendel Art Gallery 2007 Annual Repo
Page 7 and 8: In-House Exhibitions Curatorial Sta
Page 9 and 10: In-House Exhibitions to reclaim.”
Page 11 and 12: the church, the hockey rink, the gr
Page 13 and 14: Provincial Tours The River: Two Per
Page 15 and 16: Major Initiatives Every year, the P
Page 17 and 18: Public and Professional Programs Th
Page 19 and 20: GALLERY INTERPRETIVES This program
Page 21 and 22: Public and Professional Programs Ne
Page 23 and 24: Summary of Activities with St. John
Page 25 and 26: Public and Professional Programs CO
Page 27 and 28: Briarwood Fun Day BBQ Aug 26 32 chi
Page 29 and 30: Public and Professional Programs Ju
Page 31 and 32: Public and Professional Programs Co
Page 33 and 34: Gifts (continued) Joe Norris Sprayi
Page 35 and 36: Gallery Group Volunteers • Sunday
Page 37 and 38: Gallery Group Volunteers the Art Ap
Page 39 and 40: Gallery Shop / Library / Museo Coff
Page 41 and 42: Mendel Art Gallery Foundation Incor
Page 43 and 44: 2007 Annual Scroll The following pa
Page 45 and 46: 2007 Annual Scroll Members (continu
Page 47 and 48: Mendel Art Gallery 2007 Annual Repo
Page 49 and 50: Mendel Art Gallery 2007 Annual Repo
Page 51: 2007 Quick Facts Attendance* In-Hou

2007 Annual Report Mendel Art Gallery

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