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Initially operating as a consulting service, Art Placement began by "placing" works in other downtown office spaces. Works by Douglas Haynes, far left, and WIlliam Perehudoff, far right.
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A landscape painting by Dorothy Knowles, above the fax machine. |
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In 1980, the original four partners, Bonnie Bentham, Douglas Bentham, Robert Christie, and Minerva Gossen opened a bona fide, "New-York-style" gallery at 240 3rd Avenue South in downtown Saskatoon.
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The interior of the gallery at 240 3rd Avenue South, with an eclectic mix of work on display. The gallery remained in this space until 1986. |
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In 1986, the gallery moved "around the corner" from the street-front space to occupy the Traveler's Block Annex, accessible only from the back lane. The space had a long and unique history in the art community of the city, having previously housed artist studios for Ernest Lindner among others. The Saskatoon Art Centre, the precursor to the Mendel Art Gallery, was also a tenant for a short time in 1963-1964, before the opening of the then brand new Mendel Art Gallery on Spadina Crescent.
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The interior of the back alley gallery with gallery manager, Jonathan Forrest. |
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Framing had been a part of Art Placement's services since the early days. In the late 1980s the business expanded to occupy more of the Traveler's Block Annex, increasing the capacity of its services.
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For many years, the framing shop and art supplies store coexisted in the same space with a great deal of overlap in personnel. |
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Art Placement's art supplies store began humbly as a small offering of Stevenson's acrylic paints, brought in specifically for painting students at the University of Saskatchewan.
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Gradually, the store expanded in size as well as the number of products that it offered. |
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The art supplies store has consistently grown and expanded over the years to meet the needs of the local community.
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Bigger than ever, Art Placement Art Supplies is the largest and best-stocked art supply store in the province, with loyal customers across Western Canada. |
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| The gallery operated for 30 years in the Traveler's Block Annex, a hidden treasure in one of downtown Saskatoon's back alleys. With only 600 square feet of exhibition space, the gallery maintained an extremely active exhibition schedule, changing shows every 3-4 weeks. |
In 2016, exactly 30 years after Art Placement made its move to the back lane Annex, the gallery portion of the business returned to the exact same street front location it had originally occupied from 1980-1986, now also expanded and connected to the neighbouring unit to the north. The new gallery offers nearly three times the exhibition space of the back lane gallery, as well as greater visibility and accessibility from 3rd Avenue. |
