W. Allan Bailey

The Saskatchewan Foundation For the Arts extends our deepest condolences to the Bailey family of Yorkton on the passing of W. Allan Bailey, lifelong partner of Colleen Bailey.

Friends and family are invited to support the Colleen Bailey Memorial Fund.

W. Allan Bailey, well respected longtime funeral director and proprietor of Bailey’s Funeral Home, Yorkton, passed away peacefully in the early morning hours of Tuesday, January 3, 2023. He was 90 years of age.

Predeceased by his wife Colleen (2006), Allan is survived by his three sons: Boyd (Rhonda) of Yorkton; Burton (Dr. Kirsten Westberg) of Red Deer, AB; and Raymond (Crystal) of Yorkton; 8 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren.

In Allan’s memory, tribute gifts can be sent to the Saskatchewan Foundation For the Arts (PO Box 32163 RPO Victoria Square Regina, SK S4N 7L2) as tokens of remembrance.

Upholding the Voices of Artists

The Saskatchewan Foundation For the Arts was pleased to collaborate with the Canadian Club of Regina and arranged for Senator Patricia Bovey to come to Regina.

SFFA Board Chair, Gursh Barnard, will be introducing her during the event.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FEBRUARY 17, 2023

Senator Patricia Bovey will be the speaker at The Canadian Club of Regina on Thursday, March 2 at the MacKenzie Art Gallery’s Agra/Torchinsky Lounge.

Senator Bovey is the author of Bill S-208, an act respecting the Declaration on the Essential Role of Artists and Creative Expression in Canada. The Bill was passed by the Senate in October 2022.

As the first art historian and museologist to be appointed to the Senate, Senator Bovey has worked on issues from legislation to committee work, through the lens of arts and culture. She was appointed to the Senate in 2016 as an independent Senator from Manitoba.

The Canadian Club reception is at 3:30 p.m. with the talk at 4 p.m.

Admission is $15 for members, $20 for non-members, and $4 for students with a valid ID.

Register at canadianclubofregina@gmail.com by Monday, February 27.

In its 115th year in Regina, The Canadian Club of Regina provides a forum for speakers who are leaders in business, politics, academia and the arts.

The Canadian Club of Regina is a not-for-profit organization that has been bringing interesting and important speakers to the Queen City since 1908.

2023 Dick & Jane New Awards Announcement

January 25, 2023

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Saskatchewan Foundation For The Arts announces five new endowment awards supported by Richard Spafford and Jane Turnbull Evans through the Dick and Jane Fund

Dick and Jane Endowment Fund to now include six annual awards including Indigenous Literary Award

Regina – January 25, 2023 – The Saskatchewan Foundation For the Arts (SFFA) proudly announces five new awards to be presented in 2023, supported by ‘The Dick and Jane Fund’. The endowment fund was established by Richard Spafford and Jane Turnbull-Evans as a legacy gift in perpetuity honoring their lifelong commitment to supporting the arts and their drive in establishing the SFFA. The fund now is comprised of a total of six annual awards.

Gursh Barnard, Chair of the SFFA says, “Our province is recognized for creating world-class artists. The Foundation is committed to supporting and recognizing the work of Saskatchewan artists and actively seeks donations from arts patrons and supporters who celebrate the vibrancy and value of the arts and culture in our lives.”

DICK & JANE ENDOWMENT FUND AWARDS

INDIGENOUS TRADITIONAL CRAFT AWARD

ELIGIBILITY: Open to all Indigenous persons
PROJECT: includes beading, biting, leather, sculpture etc., with the focus on keeping traditional and cultural art forms alive.

INDIGENOUS MULTI-MEDIA LANGUAGE ARTS AWARD

ELIGIBILITY: Open to all Indigenous persons
PROJECT: includes audio, visual, digital, literature with a focus on keeping Canadian Indigenous languages visible/alive.

MULTIDISCIPLINARY 2SLGBTQ+ ARTIST/ART AWARD

ELIGIBLE: Emerging Artists that self-declare / identify as 2SLGBTQ+, with priority given to artists with intersecting identities that have been historically underserved
PROJECT: Multidisciplinary artistic project is open to all creative disciplines that will help to showcase the recipients’ work to residents of the province and to people beyond our borders. This visibility should encourage artistic and economic well-being for the recipient and contribute to amplifying the presence of 2SLGBTQ+. artists of Saskatchewan.

FEMALE ARTS ENTREPRENEUR AWARD

ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS: self-declared, identify as female, mid-career or established artists
PROJECT ACTIVITY: Support for business development to enable growth as artists. Includes tools and or development of professional skills, business planning, strategic planning, marketing & social media.

PRAIRIE FOLK ARTS/CRAFT AWARD

ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS: Mid-career or established craftsperson (as defined by Saskatchewan Craft Council ‘Craftsperson’)
PROJECT ACTIVITY: includes historically and culturally traditional “Prairie” craft works in fiber, wood, pottery, glass, photography and jewelry. Artist must make argument for projects suitability regarding both the terms “Traditional” and “Prairie”.

For more information on eligibility and applications, visit https://saskartsfoundation.com

Barnard says, “On behalf of the SFFA board of trustees we thank Leah Spafford, owner of Spafford Books, for her diligence in establishing these awards to honour her father’s vision and commitment”. To learn more about Spafford books and its contribution to Saskatchewan’s literary landscape visit

http://spaffordbooks.ca/

“The new awards made possible by the Dick and Jane Fund are a proud moment for the Foundation. Our donors and supporters have invested over 3 million dollars to secure private funding for the arts and artists of Saskatchewan. To date the SFFA has supported 65 artists with over $330,000 in awards. Visionaries have made this possible and we look forward to continuing to build the Endowment funds in support of our province’s arts and talented artists.”

About the Saskatchewan Foundation For the Arts

The Saskatchewan Foundation For the Arts (SFFA) is a public Foundation dedicated solely to creating a legacy of financial support for the arts and artists in Saskatchewan, through the generous financial support of individuals, organizations and corporations. https://saskartsfoundation.com/

Gursh Barnard: Chair, Board of Trustees
Tel: 306-737-8980
E-mail: info@saskartsfoundation.com

2022 Endowment Award Recipients

January 9, 2023

Six Saskatchewan artists receive annual awards to further their artistic pursuits

Regina – January 9, 2023 – The Saskatchewan Foundation For the Arts (SFFA) proudly announces the 2022 Endowment Award recipients in literary, multidisciplinary, performance (dance, music and theatre) and visual arts, with awards of $5000 each.

Gursh Barnard, Chair of the SFFA says, “Our province is recognized for creating world-class artists. The Foundation is committed to supporting and recognizing the work of Saskatchewan artists and actively seeks donations from arts patrons and supporters who celebrate the vibrancy and value of the arts and culture in our lives.”

The endowment funds are managed and administered by the SFFA Board of Trustees. Each award is in part supported by the following named funds:

The 2022 Endowment Awards recipients are:

TARA GAREAUX: Colleen Bailey Memorial Fund – Literary Award: for Wild People Quiet, a novel telling the journey of a woman living in small town Saskatchewan in 1940s, who denied her Metis identity for decades.

JOELY BIGEAGLE-KEQUAHTOOWAY: Dick and Jane Fund – Indigenous Literary Award: to write a full- length movie script tentatively titled Crazy, Rich Indigenous.

KRISTINE ALVAREZ: Harry Nick Kangles Fund – Regina Artist Award: for ‘acknowledgment’ creative response to her work Burnt Sienna.

BONNIE CONLY: Jane Turnbull Evans Fund – Visual Award for Female Artist: to develop sculpture, video, and photographic artworks honouring the resolve of Ukrainian women during the Russian invasion.

STACEY FAYANT: Shurniak Endowment Fund– Visual Award: to photograph face tattoos given to Indigenous people for a group exhibition in 2023, with an accompanying catalogue.

LORNE KEQUAHTOOWAY: Cameco Endowment for Indigenous Artists – Indigenous Artist Award: to create two grass dance outfits, including adult head roach using porcupine hair, beaded headband, eye cover, wrist cuff, armband and beaded cape.

Stacey Fayant says, “I am incredibly grateful and honoured to be chosen as a recipient of a Saskatchewan Foundation For the Arts Endowment Award. This award tells me that the path I am on in my creative endeavors is a good, important and meaningful path for myself, my community, and the larger arts community. Thank you to the jurors for taking the time to think about my project, thank you to SFFA staff for all the work you do and for the help and encouragement you offer and a big thank you to the Shurniak family for your commitment to funding artists and the arts. Your support both financially and through this award recognition drives me and my commitment to finding a means of reconciliation through my art practice.”

“I am very honored to receive the Jane Turnbull Evans award for an emerging women artist. Thank you to the SFFA and all the donors for this recognition, allowing me the opportunity to be part of Jane’s great dream and legacy. This support will be instrumental in facilitating my creative work” says Bonnie Conly, recipient of the 2022 Jane Turnbull Evans Award.

The SFFA is excited to announce five new awards for 2023 thanks to Richard Spafford and Jane Turnbull- Evans’ generosity in supporting the growth of the Dick and Jane Fund. A legacy gift in perpetuity honoring their lifelong commitment to supporting the arts and their drive in establishing the SFFA.
The 2023 Dick and Jane Endowment Fund will now include awards for: Indigenous Traditional Craft Award, Indigenous Multi-media Language Arts Award, Multidisciplinary 2SLGBTQ+ Artist/Art Award, Female Arts Entrepreneur Award, and Prairie Folk Arts/Craft Award. Watch for news in the upcoming days.

Barnard says, “Our donors and supporters have invested over 3 million dollars to secure private funding for the arts and artists of Saskatchewan. To date the SFFA has supported 65 artists with over $330,000 in awards. Visionaries have made this possible and we look forward to building the Endowment funds in support of our province’s arts and talented artists.”

About the Saskatchewan Foundation For the Arts

The Saskatchewan Foundation For the Arts (SFFA) is a public Foundation dedicated solely to creating a legacy of financial support for the arts and artists in Saskatchewan, through the generous financial support of individuals, organizations and corporations. https://saskartsfoundation.com/

Gursh Barnard: Chair, Board of Trustees Tel: 306-737-8980
E-mail: info@saskartsfoundation.com

2022 Glengarry Book Award Recipient

January 9, 2023

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

‘August Into Winter’ by Guy Vanderhaeghe awarded 2022 Glengarry Book Award

Three-time Governor General award-winning author to receive Saskatchewan’s largest literary prize of $20,000

Regina – January 9, 2023 – Launched by the Saskatchewan Foundation for the Arts (SFFA) in June of 2021, the Glengarry Book Award was created to support and foster Saskatchewan’s literary culture. The annual $20,000 (CAD) prize celebrates authors with Saskatchewan roots. In its second year, the SFFA is proud to celebrate one of Canada’s most recognized literary figures, Guy Vanderhaeghe.

The Glengarry Book Award is an annual award for the first edition of an English language novel or book of short fiction and the vision of donor and book lover Claire Kramer, a founding trustee of the SFFA.

“I am delighted to honour Guy Vanderhaeghe with this award,” says Kramer. “The response to our call for submissions was tremendous, including the caliber and variety of entries. Whether they started their career here or were raised here, the authors are connected to this land and our province. We are proud of the momentum in our second year and look forward to continuing to support the creativity of Saskatchewan writers who share stories to readers far beyond our borders.”

Vanderhaeghe says, “I am enormously pleased and deeply honoured to have received the Glengarry Book Award for my novel, August Into Winter. This is a distinction that means a great deal to me since it is given to writers whose roots are in Saskatchewan, the province where I was born, raised, educated, and whose people, landscape, and history have provided the inspiration for my work. I am profoundly grateful to Claire Kramer for her generosity in establishing and funding the Glengarry Book Award and to the Saskatchewan Foundation for the Arts for their work in assisting the province’s artists.”

Born in Esterhazy, Saskatchewan, Vanderhaeghe’s previously acclaimed work includes A Good Man, The Last Crossing, The Englishman’s Boy, Things as They Are, Homesick, My Present Age, Man Descending, and Daddy Lenin and Other Writers. He has received the Writer’s Trust Timothy Findley Award, the Harbourfront Literary Prize, and many additional honours, including the Order of Canada.

Already a national bestseller, August Into Winter tells an epic story of crime and retribution, of war and its long shadow, and the redemptive possibilities of love. Impressing the jury with its compelling language and narrative sweep, August into Winterwas commended as disciplined and innovative work by a writer at the height of his powers—an intimate, intricately-fashioned but authentic view of life on the prairies, and a splendid accomplishment in Canadian literature.

Shortlisted novels were Lee Gowan’s The Beautiful Place, praised by the jury for its original and compelling writing, engaging characters, breadth of literary imagination, as well as its subtle humour; and Anne Lazurko’s What Is Written on the Tongue for its solid writing, diligent research, and ambitious transitions through the historical periods of the main character’s lived experience.

Valerie Creighton, President and CEO of the Canada Media Fund, chaired the jury. Creighton says, “It’s been an honor to work with Claire Kramer and the Foundation to establish this award and to chair the jury. The impact of this award is significant for our province’s writers.”

Managed and administered by the SFFA, The Glengarry Book Award selects its jury from a pool of Canadian authors and Canadian literary publishers and organizations. The 2022 jury included award-winning author Marina Endicott, Freehand Books Submissions Co-ordinator Debbie Willis, and published writer, Senator Patricia Bovey.

“The Glengarry Book Award follows a long history of Saskatchewan arts patrons supporting and celebrating the arts. This year was a proud moment for the Foundation, as the funds provided to previous Endowment Fund award recipient Anne Lazurko (2017) supported her in writing this year’s shortlisted novel What Is Written on the Tongue. We are honored to be a part of recognizing the literary artists who have made their mark on Saskatchewan,” says Gursh Barnard, Chair of the Board of Trustees.

About the Saskatchewan Foundation for the Arts

The Saskatchewan Foundation for the Arts (SFFA) is a public Foundation dedicated solely to creating a legacy of financial support for the arts and artists in Saskatchewan, through the generous financial support of individuals, organizations, and corporations.

https://saskartsfoundation.com/

Gursh Barnard: Chair, Board of Trustees

Tel: 306-737-8980

E-mail: info@saskartsfoundation.com

2021 Recipients Announcement

2021 Endowment Award Recipients

December 20, 2021

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Saskatchewan Foundation For The Arts announces

2021 Endowment Award recipients

Seven Saskatchewan artists receive annual awards to further their artistic pursuits

Regina – December 20th, 2021 – The Saskatchewan Foundation For the Arts (SFFA) proudly announces the 2021 Endowment Award recipients in literary, multidisciplinary, performing (dance, music and theatre) and visual arts, with awards of $5000 each.

Gursh Barnard, Chair Saskatchewan Foundation for the Arts, says, “Our province is recognized for creating world-class artists. The Foundation is committed to supporting and recognizing the work of Saskatchewan artists and actively seeking donations from arts patrons and supporters who celebrate the vibrancy and value of the arts and culture in our lives.”

The endowment funds are managed and administered by the SFFA Board of Trustees. Each award is in part supported by the following named funds:

The 2021 Endowment Awards recipients are:

Nathan Coppens: Literary Award Colleen Bailey Memorial Endowment Fund

Ayesha Mohsin: Regina Artist Award Harry Nick Kangles Endowment Fund

Zoë Schneider: Visual Award for Female Artist Jane Turnbull Evans Fund

JingLu Zhao: Visual Award for Female Artist Jane Turnbull Evans Fund

Patrick Fernandez: Visual Award Shurniak Endowment Fund

Jeff Nachtigall: Visual Award Shurniak Endowment Fund

Melanie Rose: Indigenous Artist Award Cameco Endowment for Indigenous Artists

Previous recipients include a collective of Saskatchewan artists with work recognized provincially, nationally and internationally, including Miyawata Culture Festival Director Floyd Favel, Playwright and Director Kelley Jo Burke and award-winning musician Laura Pettigrew.

Kelley Jo Burke says, “This award played a huge part in bringing two of my projects to fruition. Financial support from the community means everything because you start the work knowing the community has your back. I want to offer my deepest gratitude to the Foundation and its funders.”

“The addition of the 2021 award recipients now brings the number of artists financially supported to fifty-eight with approximately $290,000 in awards. We are proud of the work of these artists and invite the public to learn about them and support their growth,” said Barnard.

“The SFFA endowment allowed me to produce Uncle Vanya by Chekhov with an international cast, validating that Indigenous performance is a genre not limited by identity. I am thankful to SFFA for their generosity, enabling our Indigenous festival to create cross-cultural bridges”, says award winner Floyd Favel.

In addition to the seven 2021 Endowment Awards, Dianne Warren received The Foundation’s first Glengarry Book award prize of $20,000 for her novel The Diamond House. The 2021 Glengarry and Endowment awards mark a proud moment in the history of the Foundation’s financial support of Artists.

About the Saskatchewan Foundation for the Arts

The Saskatchewan Foundation for the Arts (SFFA) is a public Foundation dedicated solely to creating a legacy of financial support for the arts and artists in Saskatchewan, through the generous financial support of individuals, organizations and corporations. https://saskartsfoundation.com/

Gursh Barnard: Chair, Board of Trustees

Tel: 306-737-8980

E-mail: info@saskartsfoundation.com

CBC Books

December 10, 2021

The Next Chapter is CBC Radio’s show dedicated to Canadian writing.

Shelagh Rogers speaks to celebrated Canadian novelist Dianne Warren about writing her novel, The Diamond House.

Read the article and listen to the interview (15:54) HERE.

2021 Glengarry Book Award Recipient

December 2, 2021

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Dianne Warren awarded inaugural Glengarry Book award of $20,000 for English-language fiction novel ‘The Diamond House’

Governor General award-winner receives largest literary prize in province’s history

Regina – December 2, 2021 – Launched by the Saskatchewan Foundation For the Arts in June of 2021, the Glengarry Book Award supports Saskatchewan’s literary culture. The $20,000 (CAD) prize celebrates authors with Saskatchewan roots; the 2021 award celebrates nationally recognized Canadian author Dianne Warren.

The award was the vision of donor and booklover Claire Kramer, a founding trustee of the Saskatchewan Foundation for the Arts (SFFA). The Glengarry Book Award is an annual award for a first edition English language novel or book of short fiction.

“I am delighted to recognize the first recipient of the Glengarry Book Award. Dianne Warren has made a significant contribution to Canadian literature. She paints her actors with a fine brush and has a strong perception of character. The Diamond House is a great read.”, says Kramer.

Dianne Warren is an author from Regina. Warren won the National Magazine Gold Award for Fiction and the Western Magazine Award for Fiction. She also won the Marian Engel Award from the Writers’ Trust of Canada in 2004. Her first novel, Cool Water, won the Governor General’s Award for English-language fiction in 2010 and was also longlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize.

Warren says, “It’s such a great honor to be the first recipient of this prize. I feel very fortunate that the jury chose to recognize The Diamond House, and I’m so grateful to Claire Kramer for her gift to writers and books. When you are in the process of writing a novel, you are so immersed in the world of the story that it feels alive, and there is a kind of loss when the book is finished. A prize such as the Glengarry can draw attention to a book so that it can live again in the minds and imaginations of readers. It is very difficult for all the good Canadian books to garner the attention they deserve, and I am grateful for every new reader that the Glengarry Prize might attract to The Diamond House.”

The Glengarry Book Award is managed and administered by the SFFA. Valerie Creighton, President and CEO of the Canada Media Fund, led the formation of the jury and the adjudication of the entries. The jury, comprised of a Canadian author, publisher and former judge and diplomat, selected The Diamond House for its superior writing, character, and plot development. The jury also wished to recognize If Sylvie Had Nine Lives by Leona Theis, Vermin by Lori Hahnel and Small Reckonings by Karin Melberg Schwier.

Three-time Governor General award-winning author Guy Vanderhaeghe says, “The announcement of the $20,000 Glengarry Book Award by the Saskatchewan Foundation for the Arts is a cause for celebration by all who care about the distinguished Saskatchewan literary tradition that first found expression with Sinclair Ross and W.O. Mitchell and which has, in the work of their successors, continued to give vibrant voice to this place and this people. The generosity of Claire Kramer, who funded The Glengarry Book Award, needs to be applauded. It is proof that the arts matter here.”

In addition to the launch of the national ‘Saskatchewan roots’ Glengarry Book Award, in 2021, the Foundation will provide an additional eight awards of $5,000 each, supported by the SFFA’s six named endowment funds to Saskatchewan artists in various disciplines.

“The Glengarry Book award follows a long history of Saskatchewan arts patrons supporting and celebrating the arts. We are honored to be a part of recognizing the creativity of literary artists who have made their mark on Saskatchewan. Whether they started their career here or were raised here, they are connected to this land and our province. We celebrate Dianne Warren as the 2021 Glengarry Book Award recipient. This is a momentous time in the Foundation’s history”, says Gursh Barnard, Chair of the SFFA’s board of trustees.

About the Saskatchewan Foundation for the Arts

The Saskatchewan Foundation for the Arts (SFFA) is a public Foundation dedicated solely to creating a legacy of financial support for the arts and artists in Saskatchewan, through the generous financial support of individuals, organizations, and corporations.https://saskartsfoundation.com/

Gursh Barnard: Chair Board of Trustees

Tel: 306-737-8980

E-mail: info@saskartsfoundation.com

Dianne Warren is an author from Regina. Warren won the National Magazine Gold Award for Fiction and the Western Magazine Award for Fiction. She also won the Marian Engel Award from the Writers’ Trust of Canada in 2004. Her first novel, Cool Water, won the Governor General’s Award for English-language fiction in 2010 and was also long-listed for the Scotia bank Giller Prize.

Warren says, “It’s such a great honour to be the first recipient of this prize. I feel very fortunate that the jury chose to recognize The Diamond House, and I’m so grateful to Claire Kramer for her gift to writers and books. When you are in the process of writing a novel, you are so immersed in the world of the story that it feels alive, and there is a kind of loss when the book is finished. A prize such as the Glengarry can draw attention to a book so that it can live again in the minds and imaginations of readers. It is very difficult for all the good Canadian books to garner the attention they deserve, and I am grateful for every new reader that the Glengarry Prize might attract to The Diamond House.”

The Glengarry Book Award Jury Panel selected “The Diamond House for its superior writing, character, and plot development.”

“Thoroughly engaging, well written… a lovely novel that hits all the right notes.” Quill & Quire Magazine

“Dianne Warren’s most recent novel The Diamond House is quietly addictive. Her portrayal of an entrepreneurial, working-class family in Saskatchewan is deliciously compelling and uncannily realistic….” Prairie Fire Literary Magazine

Richard Spafford

October 25, 2021

Our hearts are filled with sadness at the passing of Richard Spafford a lifelong supporter of the Arts.

His energy and passion launched the Saskatchewan Foundation For the Arts and he leaves a legacy for the arts and artists of Saskatchewan.

His contributions enabled private individuals, businesses, and corporations to build permanent and stable resources for the arts.

Learn more about Richard’s role in the origin of the Foundation here.

Richard (Dick) Spafford was born in Weyburn, Saskatchewan, and moved with his family to Swan River, Outlook, and Shellbrook. He graduated from the University of Saskatchewan with a B.A. and diploma in education. Afterwards, he worked briefly as a bank manager and then taught art at Aden Bowman Collegiate in Saskatoon, both occupations for which he believed he was poorly suited (though, in fact, he was widely admired as an art teacher). In the late 1960s, when a friend put his bookstore, Northland Books, up for sale, Richard decided to leave teaching and take up the new venture. Shortly thereafter, he recognized that Regina did not have a specialized bookstore, and so he opened the Book Cellar in the Cathedral district, starting with his own cache of $400 worth of books and $400 of borrowed money. The store eventually became Spafford Books, moving to its current spacious quarters on Broad Street. Bookselling was Richard’s life’s passion. He was fascinated by all books: from children’s fables, to comics, to antiquarian books.

Starting in the early 1980s, Richard served as an appraiser for the National Archives. He also worked as an appraiser for libraries and archival departments, developing along the way a keen sense of the fragility and importance of historical documents. He amassed one of the largest collections of Indigenous, Prairie, and Canadian history material in the country, which were sought after by academic libraries throughout North America. When his daughter, Leah, moved back to Regina, she worked closely with her dad in bookselling and appraisals. After a stroke left him partially paralyzed in 2005, Leah cared for her dad and the business, the two continuing a lifelong relationship based on deep love.

In addition to books, Richard was a consummate and gifted collector of fine art, ceramics, and antiques. He had a special eye for picking out rare and historical items and recognizing emerging artists. Many of the pieces he collected over the years can be found in the permanent collections of the Mackenzie Art Gallery, Moose Jaw Museum & Art Gallery, the Saskatchewan Arts Board, Canadian Museum of History, and the Glenbow. Richard was a charismatic person, an engaging raconteur, and an endlessly interesting individual whose sense of humour was unmatched. He was a creative thinker with a strong sense of self and devotion to family and his many close friends.

Over the years Richard was involved in many major initiatives that helped to foster a rich and creative environment for Saskatchewan artists. After the death of his wife, artist and arts administrator Jane Turnbull Evans, Richard continued her vision for supporting the arts through an agency endowed to hold gifts and bequests. The Saskatchewan Foundation for the Arts was established by the Saskatchewan legislature in 1999 and now has an endowment of $2.2 million. In 2005, Richard was awarded the Lieutenant Governor’s Arts Award for Leadership for his contributions to the arts and culture in Saskatchewan.

He is survived by his daughter Leah Spafford; stepson Jed Evans (Shelley Patterson) and stepgrandchild Ethan Evans; stepgrandchild Brady Keeler; stepdaughter Kristin Mae Evans; sister Janice Shoquist; numerous nieces and nephews; special friend, Carle Steel; and his many friends, among them his dear friends Dr. Neil Devitt and Lynn Crook. He was predeceased by his wife Jane Turnbull Evans; stepgrandchild Jane Evans; parents Hazel and Wilfred Spafford; brother Duff Spafford; brother-in-law Garry Shoquist; and former spouse Cathy Lauritsen.

Arrangements have been entrusted to the Paragon Funeral Home. At Richard’s request, no funeral service will be held. In memory of his life, donations may be made to the Dick & Jane Fund of the Saskatchewan Foundation for the Arts (saskartsfoundation.com).

Congratulations Valerie Creighton

Congratulations Valerie Creighton

October 12, 2021

Big congratulations to Valerie Creighton, past chair of the Saskatchewan Foundation For the Arts board of trustees. We are so proud of her and thankful for her continued work with the Foundation.

On October 12, 2021, the Canada Media Fund shared an article featuring Ms. Creighton. “One of the most powerful women in global entertainment according to The Hollywood Reporter, CMF President and CEO Valerie Creighton opens up about making it in this industry and looks at the road ahead.”

Read the Canada Media Fund article Here.

The Hollywood Reporter named Ms. Creighton “One of the 20 Most Powerful Women in Global Entertainment”.

From the Hollywood Reporter Article: As head of the biggest financier of Canadian TV, Creighton played a key role in keeping the lights on during the COVID-19 lockdown for the roughly 1,500 local productions the fund supports. A 30-year veteran of the industry, Creighton has also been instrumental in pushing through gender balance measures in Canada — women now make up just over half of the country’s working writers and producers, as well as 36 percent of directors on CMF-funded TV projects — and promoting diversity with schemes that work directly with underrepresented communities.

Her advice to young women entering the business?

“Stay on your own ground and no matter what, hang on like hell to your authentic self.”

Read the entire Hollywood Reporter Article HERE