U of S Archives
15-iv-10 Gus Kenderdine painting
In 1908 A.F. "Gus" Kenderdine, his wife Jane (née Ormerod) and their children emigrated from England to Saskatchewan, where they homesteaded near Lashburn. Gus Kenderdine became the first 'artist-in-residence' at a Canadian university when president Walter Murray hired him in 1920; Kenderdine later became a lecturer in art at the University, and was largely responsible for the formation of the University's 'Art Camp' at Emma Lake (now known as "Kenderdine Campus"). The Kenderdines had four children: Richard, Adelaide, May, and a third daughter, Rose, who died during the influenza epidemic of 1918. Richard eventually took over the family farm near Lashburn. Adelaide (BA '23) married John Kenderdine, a distant relative, and they lived for many years in Japan both before and following World War II. Florence May Kenderdine married Oswald Beamish; they, too, lived near Lashburn. Between 1985-1986 May Beamish donated approximately 130 of her father's paintings and sketches to the University of Saskatchewan, and provided over $1 million to help fund the new College of Agriculture building on the condition that it include an art gallery.
In 1920, Walter Murray, the first president of the University of Saskatchewan, identified Fine Arts as a priority for the university, and he enlisted Kenderdine in developing this vision. Kenderdine was asked to teach non-credit art classes in a studio space in the Physics Building. In 1933, the first credit art classes were developed, with Kenderdine as instructor. He became Director of the School of Fine Arts at Regina College in 1936. That same year, he established the Summer School of Art at Emma Lake, serving as Director from 1936-1947. These workshops would later be known as the Emma Lake Artists' Workshops, and the Emma Lake Kenderdine Campus was named in his honour.
The decision to establish an art camp at the height of the Depression has been cited as evidence of the ‘resiliency’ and the ‘astonishing ebullience of the West.’ It should more properly be seen as evidence of the extraordinary vision of Gus Kenderdine and Walter Murray.
In 1920, Walter Murray, the first president of the University of Saskatchewan, identified Fine Arts as a priority for the university, and he enlisted Kenderdine in developing this vision. Kenderdine was asked to teach non-credit art classes in a studio space in the Physics Building. In 1933, the first credit art classes were developed, with Kenderdine as instructor. He became Director of the School of Fine Arts at Regina College in 1936. That same year, he established the Summer School of Art at Emma Lake, serving as Director from 1936-1947. These workshops would later be known as the Emma Lake Artists' Workshops, and the Emma Lake Kenderdine Campus was named in his honour.
The decision to establish an art camp at the height of the Depression has been cited as evidence of the ‘resiliency’ and the ‘astonishing ebullience of the West.’ It should more properly be seen as evidence of the extraordinary vision of Gus Kenderdine and Walter Murray.
U of s Archives
Kenderdine 22-8 Kenderdine instructing a young Ruth Pawson, 1946
"The campus has developed and nurtured an international reputation in visual
arts, and provides a bastion of boreal forest in an area increasingly deforested.
The campus's heritage, it's development of new experiential and
interdisciplinary learning programs all demonstrate it's importance to
Saskatchewan."
Deirdre A
