It went from a run down old building that no one noticed to a pristine and gleaming white facility showcasing the best and brightest in the region. Now, not only has it been noticed, but the Humboldt & District Gallery’s transformation has also been recognized amongst the province by winning second place in the Saskatchewan Municipal Awards.
“It really validates all the community support and volunteers that worked hard to get funding and put the time and effort in,” said Jennifer Hoesgen, curator for the gallery. “It’s a celebration of the community spirit to build the gallery.”
According to Saskatchewan Municipal Awards website, the awards are handed out each year to celebrate the “the excellent and innovative practices of Saskatchewan’s municipal governments.” It aims to highlight inventive projects undertaken by communities and promote more cooperation between urban and rural municipalities. By rewarding this behaviour, it pushes communities toward continual improvement.
“(I think we won) because it was a community effort and great partnership between the municipality and the community,” said Hoesgen.
The gallery was only opened at the beginning of this year and has already become a hot sport for community events and local exhibits. The old building, which was once the Merchants Bank of Canada, has been revitalized and repurposed into a space with multifunctional capability.
The museum board initially began the project and so they remain the stewards of the building, but the foundation committee is the one who fundraises for it.
As for its success thus far, Hoesgen said it’s likely due to the fact that they try and keep the art accessible.
“We strive to be a gallery that is relevant to the community and shows art that challenges and broadens people’s perspective,” she said. “We at the gallery are also learning along. Part of our task is to understand and know what the community wants to see.”
This year, they were beaten only by the RMs of Baildon, Hillsborough, Rodgers, Moose Jaw, and Caron for their Regional Municipal Plaza, who won first palce. Nevertheless, it isn’t the first time the Humboldt museum won a municipal award. In 2011, they were awarded the Heritage Conservation Leadership Award for their heritage values.
“It’s always good to have provincial recognition … the citizens of Humboldt should be proud of their accomplishment,” said Hoesgen. “It’s taken us a good year to figure out the best way to operate and now we’re poised to explore the potential of the gallery and what the interests are.”
