The loss of renowned artist Allen Sapp has been felt across Canada, but even more deeply on Red Pheasant First Nation and in the Battlefords.
Both communities are mourning the loss of Sapp. He died in his sleep early Tuesday morning in North Battleford, a few days short of his 88th birthday.
Sapp had a special connection to Red Pheasant Cree Nation. He was a proud member of the First Nation and his lineage could be traced back to Chief Poundmaker.
It was where Sapp was born and spent his formative years, and was the subject of many of his finest works as an artist.
Fittingly, it is also the venue for Sapp’s final farewell. A wake was scheduled for Chief Glen Keskotagen Memorial Hall on Red Pheasant Cree Nation, with the funeral taking place at the same venue at 11 a.m. New Year’s Day.
Sapp was also being remembered in his home of many years, North Battleford, where he had moved in 1963 to pursue a career as a professional artist and where he ultimately achieved his greatest success.
It was after Sapp met his longtime friend and supporter Dr. Allan Gonor that he was encouraged to paint what he knew, which was life on the Red Pheasant Reserve.
From that point on Sapp’s output flourished. His depictions of First Nation life were showcased to great acclaim in venues across the world, including London and New York.
He received countless honours and awards including the Order of Canada.
The Sapp legacy is recognized in North Battleford through the Allen Sapp Gallery, which opened in 1989, with a donation of Sapp’s paintings by Dr. Gonor and his wife Ruth comprising the foundation of its collection. The venue attracts visitors from around the world to the Battlefords each year.
In a news release issued Thursday, the city expressed condolences on the death of Sapp.
“The City of North Battleford and the Allen Sapp Gallery - The Gonor Collection, sadly announce the passing of our beloved friend, for which our gallery is dedicated to, world renowned, Cree Artist, Allen Sapp,” the statement read. “We extend our heartfelt condolences to Allen Sapp’s family and friends.”
The City made special mention of Sapp’s legacy as an artist in its statement.
“For the most part Allen was a self-taught artist,” the city’s release stated. “He is said to have worked “instinctively” with a photographic memory, painting the pictures he sees in his mind. His paintings tell a personal story, but many appreciate them for their ability to go beyond that and represent a generation of Cree people and many other prairie inhabitants of the same era. His work allows viewers to reflect upon the hardships of the past and remember friendship and family as well as a less complicated way of life. Allen’s paintings masterfully depict First Nations culture, the simple elegance of rural life, and the beauty of Saskatchewan.”
Sapp was predeceased by several family members, including his wife Margaret (Berryman) Sapp, his son, David, his first wife, Margaret (Whitford) Sapp and several others from his immediate family including siblings who died as children.
He is survived by his adopted daughter, Faye Delorme, and the Mirasty and Delorme family, his brother Simon, sister-in-law Theresa, sister Stella and by nieces, nephews and extended family.
