Stupid not to include the arts : the creation and evolution of the Saskatchewan Arts Board, 1948-1970

Abstract

Wishing to modernize the province of Saskatchewan, the Tommy Douglas-led Co-operative Commonwealth Federation government (CCF), initiated a number of major, if not groundbreaking, programs. One of these initiatives, the Saskatchewan Arts Board, was a significant cultural agency for the province. Modeled on the British Arts Council, it was the first organization of its kind in North America. Stupid Not to Include the Arts examines the first twenty-two years of the Board’s existence and whether it strayed from its original mandate, and whether it was successful. By focusing on the Board’s relationships with the artists, the people, the government, and the art world, this thesis will illustrate the Board’s transition from an audience-developing and programming organization to an artist-developing and grant-giving organization.