Canada’s Museum of Modern Art will open to the public October 21st, 2017 in Saskatoon. The launch aligns with the international trend of world class museums opening in unexpected destinations.
The Remai Modern will be home to the world’s most comprehensive collection of Picasso Lino Cuts, donated to the museum in 2012 by Frank and Ellen Remai Foundation. The inaugural presentation of this collection will be curated by internationally known artist Ryan Gander.
Set where the South Saskatchewan River meets Downtown Saskatoon, Remai Modern has a dramatic impact on the city’s skyline. Designed by architect Bruce Kuwabara, founding partner of the Canadian architectural firm KPMB, the structure features three cantilevered , horizontal spaces inspired by the low, flat topography of the surrounding Prairie landscape. Portions of the Museums exterior are covered in copper coloured mesh screen in reference to the copper roof of Saskatoons landmark Besborough Hotel.
In addition to acting as a gathering place for the local community, the museum will be an attraction to visiting Canadians, international travellers and the global art community. The spaces of Remai Modern are designed for dynamic experiences and will allow for world class art to be showcased around every corner. The museum will boast intimate spaces and dramatic expanses, along with an atrium and outdoor terraces offering stunning river views.
The ground floor will feature large scale art commissions , a changing gallery space and an active learning studio as well as a fireplace and open lounge areas, an art and design store and a restaurant. On the second and third floors, visitors will find Remai Moderns main programming spaces including collection galleries, a Picasso gallery and sizeable spaces for temporary and internationally touring exhibitions.
Other areas of the building include a 150 seat lecture theatre, event and entertainment spaces which will be used for members’ nights, private rentals and community events. The Museums collections of nearly 8000 works once resided inside the popular local cultural centre, the Mendel Art Gallery and features foremost the collection of Picasso Linocuts (406) and 23 Picasso Ceramics.
The museum is located on Treaty 6 Plains Cree territory and the traditional homeland of the Metis. The museum is informed by the rich history of the Prairies, including Indigenous artists and cultures , progressive political support for art, and unique modernist legacies.
In 2011 , Saskatoon entrepreneur and philanthropist Ellen Remai announced a donation of $30 million to the new museum on behalf of the Frank and Ellen Remai Foundation – to support construction and enhance the exhibition programme. In recognition of this generosity, Saskatoon City Council unanimously voted to name the museum in Ellen Remai’s honour. In 2012 the Frank and Ellen Remai Foundation donated 405 Picasso Linocuts – the most comprehensive collection of its kind in the world – to Remai Modern. Art specialist and philanthropist Frederick Mulder complemented the gift in 2014 with the donation of one additional linocut and 23 ceramic pieces by the iconic modern artist.
For more information : www.remaimodern.org/about
