The Allen Sapp Gallery (City of North Battleford Website)

By Julia Lovett-Squires

Provincial Heritage Designation

Allen Sap Gallery one step closer to getting provincial heritage designation after City approves application

Jun 20, 2024 | 6:20 PM

A 108-year-old monument to literacy and later dedicated to the work of an Indigenous artist is on its way to having a commemorative plaque stating its designation as a provincial heritage property realized.

“This is the beginning of a very long process,” said Leah Garven, curator and manager of Galleries, City of North Battleford, Allen Sapp Gallery and The Chapel Gallery.

The City Council approved the application to be submitted to the province Monday night and Garven called it exciting of the process that will most likely take a year to complete.

“It’s a really great opportunity to refresh the heritage status of the former North Battleford Library and now currently the Allen Sapp Gallery,” she said.

First built in 1916 with a Carnegie Foundation Grant, the library served North Battleford for 70 years before being renovated in the 1980’s and transformed into the Allen Sapp Gallery – the only gallery in Canada dedicated to an Indigenous artist.

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“Sometimes we forget about these longstanding facilities and organizations in our community, and it will just elevate the merit of the building’s importance to the development and growth of North Battleford.”

The building currently has municipal designation due to it being the only Carnegie Library in Saskatchewan. By getting the added provincial status, it will mean even more – especially since only 13 Carnegie libraries were built beyond Ontario to the west.

Garven explained that while it doesn’t have that singular historic nature due to the fact that there are libraries across the country that are still in use, but the Gallery does. According to the application, from 1989-2015, the gallery was the only one in the country dedicated to a living artist. Upon Sapp’s passing, it became the only one dedicated to an Indigenous artist.

“The collection – the Gonor Collection – has national designation and our facility has Canadian Heritage cultural property category A designation,” said Garven, noting there are roughly 15 properties in the province with that status.

“It means that our facility and the care and the operations just meet that high level of museum standards.”

While collection has been given the status of having “outstanding significance and national importance OS/NI to the Canadian Identity,” it’s not historic.

Should the building receive provincial status, it will join 56 others in the province to have the designation, gain legal protection, access to funding, and be included in the Provincial Heritage Property print and online publications.

In addition to the building’s service to provincial residents, tourists from far and wide stop when they discover it.

“The collection of Allen Sapp’s work is the main draw, but the beauty of the building also really adds to the visitors’ experience.”

From her own perspective, Garven said it was a dream come true to work in the gallery.

“It was a charm to come to this facility,” she said of her career highlight.

“It’ll be my swan song.”

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julia.lovettsquires@pattisonmedia.com

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