Please send your statements of support to [email protected]
Every attempt will be made to post statements within 48 hours of receipt
Keep Kenderdine welcomes readers’ support statements, but letters may be edited for space and clarity
Every attempt will be made to post statements within 48 hours of receipt
Keep Kenderdine welcomes readers’ support statements, but letters may be edited for space and clarity
Suspending the activities of Kenderdine Campus reflects an age old argument of the value systems of a materialistic world versus the benefits of curiosity, creativity, inspiration and self-discovery.
Someone once lamented to me, “It is all well and good, but you can’t eat Art!”
I would argue that we consume art and are nourished by it every single day – and most of the time, we are completely unaware of its influence upon our lives. And the value it provides, both monetary and psychological are profound in a substantive way.
So, what does this have to do with Kenderdine Campus? Kenderdine Campus was a creative spark of an idea – a simple concept. Have a space in nature that artists can gather, and create art. Help each other. It is a modest and humble offering. This modest and humble offering has helped shape the art-world in profound and significant ways. And in doing so – made our own world more exciting, more interesting, more appealing. Saskatchewan has every right to being very proud of Kenderdine Campus, and its legacy.
From the beginning, this modest and humble offering was grounded in generosity. The simple concept of helping each other IS grounded in generosity. Indeed, these words were once used to describe the people of Saskatchewan, and those who helped build and shape the province. Rejecting what Kenderdine Campus offers, in favour of what some would prefer it to do in strict terms of making more money goes against our heritage as a citizenry. At least there was a time that it did. It goes against what is the best of us. Generosity always intends to enhance the true wellbeing of those to whom it gives. It is a virtue worthy to pursue, and is just as relevant today as it was in 1936. Kenderdine Campus is a gift for all of us.
We seem to be coerced into the belief that money determines everything, that money can adequately and efficiently determine the value of everything. Money has ceased to be a tool for a market economy, and instead become a driver for a market society. Politically speaking, this trend has been embraced, but at what cost? The environment? The Arts? How do you value curiosity, creativity and inspiration, if that can only occur within a money driven outcome? Curiosity, creativity and inspiration cannot be predicted. Neither can Art. Neither can scientific research. Money cannot predict the outcome. Nor should it be allowed to try.
Our artists are worthy, and have proven themselves time and time again. So too are our biology and environmental students. So is every single person who wishes to explore their own intimate creative potential within the confines of Kenderdine. The potential that lies within each, is an unopened gift, and Kenderdine is the natural space to find it. And we cannot define what those gifts will look like, or feel like, or sound like, or be, for the simple reason that they are still unopened. But that does not mean that those gifts will not provide a value to our lives. In fact, the existence of Kenderdine Campus as a natural space to explore our creative potential ALREADY provides value to everyone – regardless of whether they embrace it or not. Having that opportunity, that choice, is a value, and one that I would argue is very worthwhile.
I would not sacrifice what is the best of us, merely to satisfy moneyed interests. The question is not whether or not we can afford to keep Kenderdine operational. The question is whether or not we can afford to abandon our generosity, to the art-world, to our culture, to the values we possess as a society, to scientific research, to education, and the pursuit of knowledge. Can we afford to give up a beautiful natural space in the boreal forest that has served us well in the past, and would continue to do so in the future if only we care enough?? Can we afford to abandon such a gift to……..ourselves, and to our future generations? Kenderdine Campus may have been purchased by the University of Saskatchewan – but who owns the University? Does it not belong to all of us? By extension, Kenderdine Campus belongs to all of us too.
It is the best of us, what excites us, what is interesting to us, what appeals to us that makes a life worth living. Do the citizens of Saskatchewan deserve anything less????
I support the Keep Kenderdine group, and would hope that the University of Saskatchewan will find a way to work with them, and others to keep Kenderdine Campus operational with its spirit intact.
Lana Cowell
Saskatoon, SK
Someone once lamented to me, “It is all well and good, but you can’t eat Art!”
I would argue that we consume art and are nourished by it every single day – and most of the time, we are completely unaware of its influence upon our lives. And the value it provides, both monetary and psychological are profound in a substantive way.
So, what does this have to do with Kenderdine Campus? Kenderdine Campus was a creative spark of an idea – a simple concept. Have a space in nature that artists can gather, and create art. Help each other. It is a modest and humble offering. This modest and humble offering has helped shape the art-world in profound and significant ways. And in doing so – made our own world more exciting, more interesting, more appealing. Saskatchewan has every right to being very proud of Kenderdine Campus, and its legacy.
From the beginning, this modest and humble offering was grounded in generosity. The simple concept of helping each other IS grounded in generosity. Indeed, these words were once used to describe the people of Saskatchewan, and those who helped build and shape the province. Rejecting what Kenderdine Campus offers, in favour of what some would prefer it to do in strict terms of making more money goes against our heritage as a citizenry. At least there was a time that it did. It goes against what is the best of us. Generosity always intends to enhance the true wellbeing of those to whom it gives. It is a virtue worthy to pursue, and is just as relevant today as it was in 1936. Kenderdine Campus is a gift for all of us.
We seem to be coerced into the belief that money determines everything, that money can adequately and efficiently determine the value of everything. Money has ceased to be a tool for a market economy, and instead become a driver for a market society. Politically speaking, this trend has been embraced, but at what cost? The environment? The Arts? How do you value curiosity, creativity and inspiration, if that can only occur within a money driven outcome? Curiosity, creativity and inspiration cannot be predicted. Neither can Art. Neither can scientific research. Money cannot predict the outcome. Nor should it be allowed to try.
Our artists are worthy, and have proven themselves time and time again. So too are our biology and environmental students. So is every single person who wishes to explore their own intimate creative potential within the confines of Kenderdine. The potential that lies within each, is an unopened gift, and Kenderdine is the natural space to find it. And we cannot define what those gifts will look like, or feel like, or sound like, or be, for the simple reason that they are still unopened. But that does not mean that those gifts will not provide a value to our lives. In fact, the existence of Kenderdine Campus as a natural space to explore our creative potential ALREADY provides value to everyone – regardless of whether they embrace it or not. Having that opportunity, that choice, is a value, and one that I would argue is very worthwhile.
I would not sacrifice what is the best of us, merely to satisfy moneyed interests. The question is not whether or not we can afford to keep Kenderdine operational. The question is whether or not we can afford to abandon our generosity, to the art-world, to our culture, to the values we possess as a society, to scientific research, to education, and the pursuit of knowledge. Can we afford to give up a beautiful natural space in the boreal forest that has served us well in the past, and would continue to do so in the future if only we care enough?? Can we afford to abandon such a gift to……..ourselves, and to our future generations? Kenderdine Campus may have been purchased by the University of Saskatchewan – but who owns the University? Does it not belong to all of us? By extension, Kenderdine Campus belongs to all of us too.
It is the best of us, what excites us, what is interesting to us, what appeals to us that makes a life worth living. Do the citizens of Saskatchewan deserve anything less????
I support the Keep Kenderdine group, and would hope that the University of Saskatchewan will find a way to work with them, and others to keep Kenderdine Campus operational with its spirit intact.
Lana Cowell
Saskatoon, SK
Generations of people I've known grew up spending summers at Emma Lake and were tremendously impacted by the beauty and grace of nature found at "The Art Camp". The silence and serenity there was an inspiring experience, promoting appreciation for the arts, introspection of one's self, exploration of nature, and an appreciation of one's place within nature. Within the generations in my own family, the impact of Kenderdine Campus has been instrumental in shaping both artists and environmentalists. The preservation of Kenderdine Campus is paramount in providing such influential experiences for the generations to come.
Tammy Butler
Weyburn, SK
Tammy Butler
Weyburn, SK
I would like to
believe that the people who made the decision
to close
Kenderdine, could never have done so if they had any personal experience of the
campus. Genuine curiosity and an in depth knowledge of the site’s history might
also have made a difference.
Seventy-seven years is an amazing length of time. Gus Kenderdine and President Murray had a vision which was honoured until last fall. Whatever has happened to undermine such far-sightedness and love of the arts? The campus thrived through hard and good economic times. To use money as an excuse now is not convincing, nor acceptable. A fundamental lack of interest in the arts and the environment might be closer to the truth - a reality I find too offensive to accept.
Banal as it might sound, I would like to suggest that the decision makers contemplate a life without the arts - no music, no books, no poetry, no paintings, no dance, no drama, no architecture – the list is endless. What a wasteland we would all live in.
Scientific research and concern for the environment are also essential to everyone’s survival. Kenderdine campus and the untouched wilderness of Fairy Island have been a rich source of learning for scientists and students for many, many years.
I would like to believe the university, after careful consideration, has every intention of re-opening Kenderdine campus – any decision to the contrary would be an unmitigated tragedy, with far-reaching consequences. The thousands whose lives have been singularly enriched by their experiences at Kenderdine will not give up easily, I suspect - most will be more than willing to work with the university to find a viable, creative solution. The university would be short-sighted and negligent not to tap the resources of such a community.
I look forward to the day the now shuttered windows and doors open again to welcome everyone back.
Yours in hope,
Degen Lindner
Saskatoon, SK
Seventy-seven years is an amazing length of time. Gus Kenderdine and President Murray had a vision which was honoured until last fall. Whatever has happened to undermine such far-sightedness and love of the arts? The campus thrived through hard and good economic times. To use money as an excuse now is not convincing, nor acceptable. A fundamental lack of interest in the arts and the environment might be closer to the truth - a reality I find too offensive to accept.
Banal as it might sound, I would like to suggest that the decision makers contemplate a life without the arts - no music, no books, no poetry, no paintings, no dance, no drama, no architecture – the list is endless. What a wasteland we would all live in.
Scientific research and concern for the environment are also essential to everyone’s survival. Kenderdine campus and the untouched wilderness of Fairy Island have been a rich source of learning for scientists and students for many, many years.
I would like to believe the university, after careful consideration, has every intention of re-opening Kenderdine campus – any decision to the contrary would be an unmitigated tragedy, with far-reaching consequences. The thousands whose lives have been singularly enriched by their experiences at Kenderdine will not give up easily, I suspect - most will be more than willing to work with the university to find a viable, creative solution. The university would be short-sighted and negligent not to tap the resources of such a community.
I look forward to the day the now shuttered windows and doors open again to welcome everyone back.
Yours in hope,
Degen Lindner
Saskatoon, SK
I am writing to ask you to do whatever is in your power to ensure that the mission of Kenderdine Campus is upheld, and the site is kept open in a sustainable manner. I trust that you can work with the multiple groups and individuals who care passionately about this centre, and are willing to work creatively to find a solution that respects the site`s need to be both fiscally sustainable and continue to provide an essential service to the University of Saskatchewan and broader community.
I write this with personal experience, Kenderdine campus was hugely important to me as a young artist. It was an important space in which to learn and be mentored, and experience the direct artistic and personal inspiration of the natural world. As our population expands and our cities grow, there will be fewer and fewer spaces like this left.
I always found it fascinating that Kenderdine was important for the North American art community - imagine, an art site on a little lake in northern Saskatchewan, connected to our very own university, known around the world!
I am currently living in Ottawa, but I still feel very connected to my Saskatchewan roots. I plan to one day return to Saskatoon, and I sincerely hope that art courses at the Kenderdine Campus are something I can be proud to share with my future children. I appreciate your time in reading this letter, and thank you for your attention on this matter.
Rosa Kouri
Ottawa, ON
I write this with personal experience, Kenderdine campus was hugely important to me as a young artist. It was an important space in which to learn and be mentored, and experience the direct artistic and personal inspiration of the natural world. As our population expands and our cities grow, there will be fewer and fewer spaces like this left.
I always found it fascinating that Kenderdine was important for the North American art community - imagine, an art site on a little lake in northern Saskatchewan, connected to our very own university, known around the world!
I am currently living in Ottawa, but I still feel very connected to my Saskatchewan roots. I plan to one day return to Saskatoon, and I sincerely hope that art courses at the Kenderdine Campus are something I can be proud to share with my future children. I appreciate your time in reading this letter, and thank you for your attention on this matter.
Rosa Kouri
Ottawa, ON
I have been going to Emma Lake Kenderdine Campus since 1999. It is an ideal setting to focus on artistic endeavors. The U of S's decision to "temporarily" close the campus is a blow to all artists - past, present and future.
I was fortunate to spend time there recently, painting and exploring Fairy Island – a truly magical place. It was depressing, however, to see the cabins and classrooms on campus boarded up. And the Lindner cabin on the island (a Provincial Heritage Property owned by the University) still needs new shingles as it has for many years. It forebodes how little the University cares about our heritage.
I am filled with a bunch of “what if’s”. What if the Fine Arts Department offered more credit classes at Kenderdine? What if the University embarked on a serious marketing campaign to promote Kenderdine to people who don’t know it exists? What if a private foundation were established to help perpetuate the legacy of Kenderdine? What if arts organizations, such as CARFAC and the Writers Guild, provided grants to new/emerging artists and writers to attend Kenderdine? What if the Universities of Saskatchewan and Regina jointly operated Kenderdine, given the strong ties to the Regina Five and such? What if… what if.
I am also filled with memories of Kenderdine. The opportunity to focus on painting in a natural setting without worldly distractions. The engaging conversations over meals in the dining hall and campfires on the beach, with artists, writers, biologists, soil scientists, ecologists and many others. Kenderdine Campus has been instrumental in the careers of so many and varied people. I sincerely hope that the University will re-consider their short-sighted decision, and that Kenderdine Campus will continue to provide inspiration for future generations.
Campbell Patterson, FCSLA
Senior Landscape Architect
Stantec Consulting Ltd.
Saskatoon, SK
I was fortunate to spend time there recently, painting and exploring Fairy Island – a truly magical place. It was depressing, however, to see the cabins and classrooms on campus boarded up. And the Lindner cabin on the island (a Provincial Heritage Property owned by the University) still needs new shingles as it has for many years. It forebodes how little the University cares about our heritage.
I am filled with a bunch of “what if’s”. What if the Fine Arts Department offered more credit classes at Kenderdine? What if the University embarked on a serious marketing campaign to promote Kenderdine to people who don’t know it exists? What if a private foundation were established to help perpetuate the legacy of Kenderdine? What if arts organizations, such as CARFAC and the Writers Guild, provided grants to new/emerging artists and writers to attend Kenderdine? What if the Universities of Saskatchewan and Regina jointly operated Kenderdine, given the strong ties to the Regina Five and such? What if… what if.
I am also filled with memories of Kenderdine. The opportunity to focus on painting in a natural setting without worldly distractions. The engaging conversations over meals in the dining hall and campfires on the beach, with artists, writers, biologists, soil scientists, ecologists and many others. Kenderdine Campus has been instrumental in the careers of so many and varied people. I sincerely hope that the University will re-consider their short-sighted decision, and that Kenderdine Campus will continue to provide inspiration for future generations.
Campbell Patterson, FCSLA
Senior Landscape Architect
Stantec Consulting Ltd.
Saskatoon, SK
I did not complete a degree in the visual arts but chose instead to get my education by being active in the arts by learning and working with people who were already active and successful in this chosen profession. Emma lake provided that opportunity for me to work alongside and get feed back from some of Canada's and indeed the world's, most innovative creative thinkers.
It was at the Kenderdine Campus that I met and worked alongside Evan Penny, Suzanna Heller, Medrie Macphee, John Gibbons ,Dorothy Knowles, William Perehudoff, Kenneth Noland, Greg Hardy, David Alexander and many other younger artists who have gone on to have extraordinary careers.
It was through the Emma Lake artist workshops that I also met with art dealers, critics and poets and developed relationships and connections around the world, and understood that a life in the arts, in Canada was not only possible but could flourish.
I learned at Emma during the 3 or 4 years that I participated there, that well known artists and writers were in the end just real people and as a result I could picture myself among them. Emma lake was one of the most valuable experiences to help me embark on a career as an artist. I have, as a result of this and other experiences, been fortunate enough to maintain a life in rural Canada, raise a family, solely as a visual artist for almost 25 years.
I am sure there are many creative people across Canada and indeed the world who could say the same.
I urge those in control of this amazing place and heritage to look further into the future and see it not as a burden or a short term cash cow, but again as an opportunity as the original founders of the Kenderdine Campus did.
Thank you,
Peter von Tiesenhausen
It was at the Kenderdine Campus that I met and worked alongside Evan Penny, Suzanna Heller, Medrie Macphee, John Gibbons ,Dorothy Knowles, William Perehudoff, Kenneth Noland, Greg Hardy, David Alexander and many other younger artists who have gone on to have extraordinary careers.
It was through the Emma Lake artist workshops that I also met with art dealers, critics and poets and developed relationships and connections around the world, and understood that a life in the arts, in Canada was not only possible but could flourish.
I learned at Emma during the 3 or 4 years that I participated there, that well known artists and writers were in the end just real people and as a result I could picture myself among them. Emma lake was one of the most valuable experiences to help me embark on a career as an artist. I have, as a result of this and other experiences, been fortunate enough to maintain a life in rural Canada, raise a family, solely as a visual artist for almost 25 years.
I am sure there are many creative people across Canada and indeed the world who could say the same.
I urge those in control of this amazing place and heritage to look further into the future and see it not as a burden or a short term cash cow, but again as an opportunity as the original founders of the Kenderdine Campus did.
Thank you,
Peter von Tiesenhausen
As a “ veteran” singer songwriter I get asked often to take part in songwriting workshops ..some of them good ..some not so much. I had the privilege of spending time with a group of very talented songwriters at Kenderdine campus last fall, some of them with a few years under their belts, some rookie writers, all there for the love of it …truly inspiring!
To hear that the U of S has decided to close the campus is Very sad... to say I am shocked would not be true....just another case of the beancounters calling the shots. I am sure the lakefront property is worth millions but I can hope they realize what they are losing in the long run and take another look at this short sighted decision .
Dean McTaggart
Singer/Songwriter
To hear that the U of S has decided to close the campus is Very sad... to say I am shocked would not be true....just another case of the beancounters calling the shots. I am sure the lakefront property is worth millions but I can hope they realize what they are losing in the long run and take another look at this short sighted decision .
Dean McTaggart
Singer/Songwriter
I took Kim Fontaine's Introduction to Songwriting at the U of S in 2007. Although I never got to the Emma Lake Songwriting Retreat I was looking forward to attending this year. Other students who were in my class who had been through the retreat were awesome. I am saddened by the news. There are so many talented artists and performers and other up-and-comers that have potential. However it takes the environment and more experienced artists and performers to help make that happen.
Bernadette Reifferscheid
Bernadette Reifferscheid
I’ll never forget my first time at Emma Lake Kenderdine Campus. I thought I had gotten lost until I finally came upon the sign that pointed me down a dirt road. I pulled in to an overgrown gravel pad with tree-stumps as stall markers, got out of my vehicle and walked toward the back of a big red building. As I passed by and peeked in the windows, I saw magnificent paintings and artists who were absorbed in their brush strokes. I looked out toward the light reflecting on the lake and was drawn in by the stillness of the energy that surrounded me. As I made my way toward the end of the dock, I took a deep breath and exhaled my day-to-day stressors. I thought, “Wow! This would be a great place to write songs!”
I first heard about ELKC through my job at the University. I used to design the brochures so I was somewhat familiar with the visual art legacy. I soon initiated a conversation with Paul Trottier about hosting a songwriting retreat and within a few years, Jay Semko, David Taylor and myself facilitated our very first one. Acoustic guitars rang through the trees. Vocal melodies floated through cabin windows. Creative synergies were taking shape and the catch phrase of the weekend became “write that down!” Over the years, many songs were started and finished there, and many have found their way into recordings and live performances. Our last retreat was held last summer.
On the surface, Emma looks like a place of ruins. The dining hall is sinking. Dead-tree-fall is strewn in the paths. The aging cabins are not the five-star accommodation you would expect from a place that is regarded as the University of Saskatchewan’s crown jewel. But beyond the superficial is something that can’t be described in words. Until you’ve walked through the labyrinth, paddled a canoe to Fairy Island, explored Lindner’s cabin, have been welcomed by deer on your doorstep, or squeezed your way onto a crowded dock because it offered the best view of a spectacular Northern Light show, you haven’t experienced Emma. Time seemingly disappears except when the dinner bell rings.
The funky octagon-shaped dining hall with a round fireplace in the middle and an old piano off to the side was where we held our pass-the-guitar jams and got to know each other. This was also where we showcased our works to campus residents and area cabin owners. Now, it is condemned and plywood covers the very windows that once gave us a birds-eye view of the sun dipping below the tree line.
The campfire pit on the beach was where we would bask in the warmth of our coffee and note pads. It was also where we shared a glass of wine with fellow painters, writers, sculptors, photographers and biology students, who often joined in our impromptu campfire sing-alongs. Now, the chairs are gone and our beloved dock has been left to wither on the shore.
The Snelgrove, a dated box-style portable classroom from somewhere in the 60s, was where we came together to witness the birth of many new creations. Now, chains and padlocks bind the doors. Our epicenter, which once resonated with song and laughter, has fallen silent and is now a dark and hollow shell.
To some, Emma is simply a plot of land with monetary value that would help alleviate some financial concern. To us, she is a living, breathing entity and a catalyst for inspiration and rejuvenation. Her value cannot be measured by mere dollars alone. Please don’t pave paradise by selling her off to the highest bidder.
Kim Fontaine
Singer/Songwriter
Saskatoon, SK
I first heard about ELKC through my job at the University. I used to design the brochures so I was somewhat familiar with the visual art legacy. I soon initiated a conversation with Paul Trottier about hosting a songwriting retreat and within a few years, Jay Semko, David Taylor and myself facilitated our very first one. Acoustic guitars rang through the trees. Vocal melodies floated through cabin windows. Creative synergies were taking shape and the catch phrase of the weekend became “write that down!” Over the years, many songs were started and finished there, and many have found their way into recordings and live performances. Our last retreat was held last summer.
On the surface, Emma looks like a place of ruins. The dining hall is sinking. Dead-tree-fall is strewn in the paths. The aging cabins are not the five-star accommodation you would expect from a place that is regarded as the University of Saskatchewan’s crown jewel. But beyond the superficial is something that can’t be described in words. Until you’ve walked through the labyrinth, paddled a canoe to Fairy Island, explored Lindner’s cabin, have been welcomed by deer on your doorstep, or squeezed your way onto a crowded dock because it offered the best view of a spectacular Northern Light show, you haven’t experienced Emma. Time seemingly disappears except when the dinner bell rings.
The funky octagon-shaped dining hall with a round fireplace in the middle and an old piano off to the side was where we held our pass-the-guitar jams and got to know each other. This was also where we showcased our works to campus residents and area cabin owners. Now, it is condemned and plywood covers the very windows that once gave us a birds-eye view of the sun dipping below the tree line.
The campfire pit on the beach was where we would bask in the warmth of our coffee and note pads. It was also where we shared a glass of wine with fellow painters, writers, sculptors, photographers and biology students, who often joined in our impromptu campfire sing-alongs. Now, the chairs are gone and our beloved dock has been left to wither on the shore.
The Snelgrove, a dated box-style portable classroom from somewhere in the 60s, was where we came together to witness the birth of many new creations. Now, chains and padlocks bind the doors. Our epicenter, which once resonated with song and laughter, has fallen silent and is now a dark and hollow shell.
To some, Emma is simply a plot of land with monetary value that would help alleviate some financial concern. To us, she is a living, breathing entity and a catalyst for inspiration and rejuvenation. Her value cannot be measured by mere dollars alone. Please don’t pave paradise by selling her off to the highest bidder.
Kim Fontaine
Singer/Songwriter
Saskatoon, SK
As a member of Saskatchewan's cultural community, I am appalled at the lack of vision demonstrated by this decision. It is utterly thoughtless - and far too easy - to reduce the value of this facility to a quantitative rendering (and a pathetically small one at that, given the talk about stadiums and urban sprawl). The qualitative outcomes produced by the Kenderdine Campus have had, and continue to have, a tremendous positive impact on our province's national and international reputation as a home for arts and learning. The integration of practice in both fine arts and ecological research is unique, and to undervalue its historical contribution as well as its future potential - without any effort toward prior consultation with stakeholders - sets a dangerous precedent for the strategic direction of the university as a public institution. The Kenderdine Campus has influenced so many acclaimed Saskatchewan artists; Knowles, Perehudoff, Bentham, Christie, Lindner, the Regina Five, Milne and more have left an indelible imprint of our province upon the international art world, and all count their time at the Kenderdine as crucial to their creative development. No matter which way you spin it - close it now, close it later - this decision and the way it was made speak volumes about how the U of S values non-traditional learning. Rather than being a place for higher thinking, it is yet another sign that only cookie-cutter minds and aptitudes are welcome here. Is that really the message we want to send to our home community and to the world? It is abhorrent, shallow and cowardly to cut this facility based on nothing but current bottom-line financial outcomes. How tragically ironic that we will invest millions upon millions of dollars to build a shrine to visual arts at River Landing, but eliminate one of the most accessible and affordable avenues to creative engagement we already have. If the University is seeking a pathway to diminish itself, to become smaller and less significant in the world, this is definitely one way to do it.
Shauna Bradford-Wilson
Executive Director, PotashCorp Children's Festival of Saskatchewan
Saskatoon, SK
Shauna Bradford-Wilson
Executive Director, PotashCorp Children's Festival of Saskatchewan
Saskatoon, SK
As an artist and art educator, I was shocked and devastated to learn of the indefinite closure of Kenderdine Campus. Over the past four summers, I have had the privilege to learn from a long list of accomplished artists at Kenderdine and, subsequently, have been able to pass this knowledge on to the many aspiring young high school artists I teach each year. And as this summer approaches, I, like thousands of artists, writers, musicians, biologists and scientists in this province and around the world who were fortunate enough to experience Kenderdine and who look forward to returning each summer, am trying to make sense of this shortsighted decision.
On its website, the University states that its “field camps are not only important for a student’s education but they can also represent a transformative moment in students’ lives”. Regardless of discipline, everyone who has attended Kenderdine can speak to the transformative power of this place. It might be the utter sense of peace and tranquility that one encounters while practicing their craft deep within the forest. It might be the sounds and smells of nature that envelop one at every turn and heighten one’s awareness of self. It might be the people one meets, the conversations had and the collaborations and networking that take one to a different, higher place. It might be the contagious energy experienced when one discovers new meanings and new learning in something least expected. It might be the Spartan-like accommodations, free of distractions so one can focus on one’s passion in life. It might even be the food. In truth, it’s all of these. The love for this place runs deep in all our veins and what’s more is this transformative experience not only lasts a lifetime, but it also lives on as knowledge is handed down to subsequent generations. To me, that is priceless. However, some are willing to deny future generations this experience, in order to save a few dollars or make a one-time profit? What is truly embarrassing about this situation is that Kenderdine is not only facing closure during our province’s greatest economic boom EVER but it is also facing closure in spite of being developed during the 1930’s, a time of extreme hardship and unparalleled loss in our province’s history. This present action flies in the face of the great sacrifices made by previous university officials and visionaries who created such a place in such an unlikely time. The value of Kenderdine, sadly, has been summed up with numbers….with dollar figures….a bottom line if you will….without any regard to the massive impact it has had on the thousands of artists, writers, musicians, scientists and biologists it has shaped and nurtured over the past 70 years and the thousands more yet to come.
I urge the University administration to reconsider its decision and to consider the enormous loss that this closure would bring to the future of their University, this province and this country. I urge the University administration to be proactive and give Kenderdine participants, the free thinkers of this world, a chance to seek creative solutions together for the preservation of this national treasure.
“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.” Henry David Thoreau, 1854
Kathy Bradshaw
Artist, Teacher
Saskatoon, SK
On its website, the University states that its “field camps are not only important for a student’s education but they can also represent a transformative moment in students’ lives”. Regardless of discipline, everyone who has attended Kenderdine can speak to the transformative power of this place. It might be the utter sense of peace and tranquility that one encounters while practicing their craft deep within the forest. It might be the sounds and smells of nature that envelop one at every turn and heighten one’s awareness of self. It might be the people one meets, the conversations had and the collaborations and networking that take one to a different, higher place. It might be the contagious energy experienced when one discovers new meanings and new learning in something least expected. It might be the Spartan-like accommodations, free of distractions so one can focus on one’s passion in life. It might even be the food. In truth, it’s all of these. The love for this place runs deep in all our veins and what’s more is this transformative experience not only lasts a lifetime, but it also lives on as knowledge is handed down to subsequent generations. To me, that is priceless. However, some are willing to deny future generations this experience, in order to save a few dollars or make a one-time profit? What is truly embarrassing about this situation is that Kenderdine is not only facing closure during our province’s greatest economic boom EVER but it is also facing closure in spite of being developed during the 1930’s, a time of extreme hardship and unparalleled loss in our province’s history. This present action flies in the face of the great sacrifices made by previous university officials and visionaries who created such a place in such an unlikely time. The value of Kenderdine, sadly, has been summed up with numbers….with dollar figures….a bottom line if you will….without any regard to the massive impact it has had on the thousands of artists, writers, musicians, scientists and biologists it has shaped and nurtured over the past 70 years and the thousands more yet to come.
I urge the University administration to reconsider its decision and to consider the enormous loss that this closure would bring to the future of their University, this province and this country. I urge the University administration to be proactive and give Kenderdine participants, the free thinkers of this world, a chance to seek creative solutions together for the preservation of this national treasure.
“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.” Henry David Thoreau, 1854
Kathy Bradshaw
Artist, Teacher
Saskatoon, SK
The Emma Lake Kenderdine Campus has layers and layers of meaning and growth and insight, like a good story it has new interpretations in each stage of life.
I first experienced Emma Lake as a young biology student staying in Ernest Lindner’s original summer studio on Fairy Island that had been renovated as a field station by the Biology Department. Here we really got our feet wet during an aquatic biology weekend field trip. The class delighted in seeing and touching for the first time so many new life forms and in learning with the intimacy of eager apprentices from our enthusiastic instructors and classmates. The biology field course was a more extensive opportunity to study in greater depth, spread our minds to investigate a question in ecology and interact with not only our fellow biologists but also other students attending the campus. Always I was aware of the depth of history of people drawn to nature, the enchantment of Emma and the core value of sharing this experience.
Almost twenty-five years later I attended Degen Lindner’s class “Painting Fairy Island”. This experience added other layers of understanding in interpreting the natural world.
The educational value of the Kenderdine Campus has been embraced beyond the fields of art and biology. It represents the best of collaborative efforts to provide future learning opportunities. It also builds on a rich past of friendships, associates and learners of all ages that sought inspiration living and interacting in nature.
Bonnie Lawrence
Biologist
Clavet area, Saskatchewan
I first experienced Emma Lake as a young biology student staying in Ernest Lindner’s original summer studio on Fairy Island that had been renovated as a field station by the Biology Department. Here we really got our feet wet during an aquatic biology weekend field trip. The class delighted in seeing and touching for the first time so many new life forms and in learning with the intimacy of eager apprentices from our enthusiastic instructors and classmates. The biology field course was a more extensive opportunity to study in greater depth, spread our minds to investigate a question in ecology and interact with not only our fellow biologists but also other students attending the campus. Always I was aware of the depth of history of people drawn to nature, the enchantment of Emma and the core value of sharing this experience.
Almost twenty-five years later I attended Degen Lindner’s class “Painting Fairy Island”. This experience added other layers of understanding in interpreting the natural world.
The educational value of the Kenderdine Campus has been embraced beyond the fields of art and biology. It represents the best of collaborative efforts to provide future learning opportunities. It also builds on a rich past of friendships, associates and learners of all ages that sought inspiration living and interacting in nature.
Bonnie Lawrence
Biologist
Clavet area, Saskatchewan
News of the Kenderdine campus' demise came as a surprise and a shock to everyone in the art community, not just in Saskatchewan, but across the country. How could such an important research facility for artists and scientists become so degraded? Who did this? The university? The government? Canadians know all about the Emma Lake workshops. It’s no secret – they changed the course of art history.
Are the dark ages coming upon us? Scientists are muzzled, their tools taken away, filmmakers are escorted out the back door and our artists are being told to go elsewhere.
Trashing this internationally renown gem doesn’t come at the hands of thugs – the Kenderdine campus was under the custodianship of the University of Saskatchewan: this province’s bastion of knowledge and culture (our bulwark against thugs). We are told the financial crisis the administration is addressing came as a surprise. Why? Did the government mislead? Private interests are lurking and the beautiful and sacred land around Emma Lake is pregnant with real estate deals. The university is washing its hands – the Wall government is balancing its books and the seminal, history-making laboratory for world-class artists and scientists we all cherish is withering and falling between the cracks.
It’s time to step up and take responsibility. We need to remind the world that that Saskatchewan can be a leader in artistic and scientific research, that we are experts in adding value to our beautiful natural resources and that we’ve been doing it for years. We need some creative partnering – we need more partners. But that can’t happen if the biggest partners keep dropping their balls.
Marcus Miller
Director, Gordon Snelgrove Gallery
Saskatchewan Arts Alliance, Vice President
Common Weal, Board Director
AKA Gallery, Board Director
Are the dark ages coming upon us? Scientists are muzzled, their tools taken away, filmmakers are escorted out the back door and our artists are being told to go elsewhere.
Trashing this internationally renown gem doesn’t come at the hands of thugs – the Kenderdine campus was under the custodianship of the University of Saskatchewan: this province’s bastion of knowledge and culture (our bulwark against thugs). We are told the financial crisis the administration is addressing came as a surprise. Why? Did the government mislead? Private interests are lurking and the beautiful and sacred land around Emma Lake is pregnant with real estate deals. The university is washing its hands – the Wall government is balancing its books and the seminal, history-making laboratory for world-class artists and scientists we all cherish is withering and falling between the cracks.
It’s time to step up and take responsibility. We need to remind the world that that Saskatchewan can be a leader in artistic and scientific research, that we are experts in adding value to our beautiful natural resources and that we’ve been doing it for years. We need some creative partnering – we need more partners. But that can’t happen if the biggest partners keep dropping their balls.
Marcus Miller
Director, Gordon Snelgrove Gallery
Saskatchewan Arts Alliance, Vice President
Common Weal, Board Director
AKA Gallery, Board Director
Before I moved to Saskatchewan 2009 the only things I knew about this great province were: that it produces potash, that Regina Five were from there and that Emma Lake was situated there.
Emma Lake artist workshops were in my opinion the greatest international achievement of Canadian Visual Arts, and there is nothing alive in Canada today which would come close to Emma Lake International Visual Artist Workshops of late fifties and sixties hosted by genius greatest artists and critics of the time, such as Clem Greenberg, Barnet Newman, Kenneth Noland, Jules Olitski, Lawrence Allowey, Frank Stella and Donald Judd, and Sir Anthony Caro Worksop in 1977.
I have not been there but I did hear a lot about historic Emma Lake workshops from some of participating Canadian artists that have had the experience of their lives there.
It would be a pity and culturally irresponsible act that one of meaningful western art tradition dies just like that. Rather someone should think how to bring the Emma Lake Workshop back to its historic glory and importance.
Gordan Novak
Printmaker, publisher and international art dealer
Admiral, Saskatchewan
Emma Lake artist workshops were in my opinion the greatest international achievement of Canadian Visual Arts, and there is nothing alive in Canada today which would come close to Emma Lake International Visual Artist Workshops of late fifties and sixties hosted by genius greatest artists and critics of the time, such as Clem Greenberg, Barnet Newman, Kenneth Noland, Jules Olitski, Lawrence Allowey, Frank Stella and Donald Judd, and Sir Anthony Caro Worksop in 1977.
I have not been there but I did hear a lot about historic Emma Lake workshops from some of participating Canadian artists that have had the experience of their lives there.
It would be a pity and culturally irresponsible act that one of meaningful western art tradition dies just like that. Rather someone should think how to bring the Emma Lake Workshop back to its historic glory and importance.
Gordan Novak
Printmaker, publisher and international art dealer
Admiral, Saskatchewan
To whichever government officials this may concern:
I was deeply saddened to hear of the campus closing. Why are we forcing our creative and creative thinking youth OUT of province? This seems a tad short sighted. I think we need to support and try to bring in MORE creative youth not send them away. There are many artists in the province trying to make the arts culture more available and bring more awareness here.
I hope you reconsider this before my teen daughter reaches university age, it would be nice to keep her closer to home. Otherwise it's off to Nova Scotia or Vancouver, and I would miss her.
Cindy Redekop
Artist and jewelry designer
Swift Current, SK
I was deeply saddened to hear of the campus closing. Why are we forcing our creative and creative thinking youth OUT of province? This seems a tad short sighted. I think we need to support and try to bring in MORE creative youth not send them away. There are many artists in the province trying to make the arts culture more available and bring more awareness here.
I hope you reconsider this before my teen daughter reaches university age, it would be nice to keep her closer to home. Otherwise it's off to Nova Scotia or Vancouver, and I would miss her.
Cindy Redekop
Artist and jewelry designer
Swift Current, SK
From the point of view of a teacher who taught English and Art many years ago, I am writing to protest strongly [the] decision to close the Kenderdine Campus of the U of S.
I attended the [Emma Lake] Art School for four consecutive years learning design, drawing, painting and pottery from teachers from Baltimore, New York, Saskatoon and Nova Scotia. For six weeks each summer I attended two classes each day, dined with my teachers, and was able to listen to discussions in the evening with teachers and students in other classes. (Some were Biology students). It was an ideal learning experience. Indeed, those four summers were the most memorable and enriching of my life.
I believe that an appreciation of the visual arts is essential to one’s having an enriched life, an educated life. Long after we have forgotten logarithms or [formulas] we will continue to encounter Picasso, Calder, da Vinci and all of the other “greats”. Universities should broaden a student’s curriculum by making a Fine Arts class compulsory, or at least a compulsory Art History class.
When I was a young school girl my teacher began the fall term by enthusiastically describing his summer holiday. With his wife and baby he had lived in a tent near a lake where he’d learned how to draw and paint. He must have been “Gus” Kenderdine’s student because this happened in the late thirties when a penniless rural teacher was able to escape the dusty prairies and go to a forest to paint. The Kenderdine cabin is still there. It is part of Saskatchewan’s history. The site should be preserved as a provincial, if not national historic site.
Eleanor A. Smith
Teacher
I attended the [Emma Lake] Art School for four consecutive years learning design, drawing, painting and pottery from teachers from Baltimore, New York, Saskatoon and Nova Scotia. For six weeks each summer I attended two classes each day, dined with my teachers, and was able to listen to discussions in the evening with teachers and students in other classes. (Some were Biology students). It was an ideal learning experience. Indeed, those four summers were the most memorable and enriching of my life.
I believe that an appreciation of the visual arts is essential to one’s having an enriched life, an educated life. Long after we have forgotten logarithms or [formulas] we will continue to encounter Picasso, Calder, da Vinci and all of the other “greats”. Universities should broaden a student’s curriculum by making a Fine Arts class compulsory, or at least a compulsory Art History class.
When I was a young school girl my teacher began the fall term by enthusiastically describing his summer holiday. With his wife and baby he had lived in a tent near a lake where he’d learned how to draw and paint. He must have been “Gus” Kenderdine’s student because this happened in the late thirties when a penniless rural teacher was able to escape the dusty prairies and go to a forest to paint. The Kenderdine cabin is still there. It is part of Saskatchewan’s history. The site should be preserved as a provincial, if not national historic site.
Eleanor A. Smith
Teacher
I've spent very little time at the Kenderdine campus, but I have known about it ever since 1954 when I began high school at STCI where Ernie Lindner was my art teacher for four years and thereby changed my life. Or helped me to be what I needed to be. My older sister went to the Kenderdine school several summers, once as an instructor's assistant, I think. If you were lucky enough to have Ernie Lindner as a teacher, you knew all about the place; it was as if you went there all the time yourself. And in that way, more importantly, you came to understand the immense value of the school to the visual arts community, the tremendous excitement around and at it, the discussions, arguing, and break-throughs that no painter at least who went there regularly seems able to forget. If I say that careers were made there, I don't mean it in the careerist sense, but in the sense of the individual artist finding his/her way through the dynamic process of being among other deeply serious artists. What a place it was, and continued to be! I think shutting it down is a terrible mistake; it has been a laboratory, a source of inspiration, a crucible for artists.
Then it became more than that, and that is how I spent time there as a writer, not a painter. In the ten-day or so period I was there I accomplished an enormous amount that would have been impossible if I'd stayed home. And I met others artists: photographer Courtney Milne, painter Louise Cook, and a couple of dozen eager neophytes. We have nothing comparable elsewhere in Saskatchewan. We cannot afford to lose the Kenderdine campus.
Sharon Butala
Author
Then it became more than that, and that is how I spent time there as a writer, not a painter. In the ten-day or so period I was there I accomplished an enormous amount that would have been impossible if I'd stayed home. And I met others artists: photographer Courtney Milne, painter Louise Cook, and a couple of dozen eager neophytes. We have nothing comparable elsewhere in Saskatchewan. We cannot afford to lose the Kenderdine campus.
Sharon Butala
Author
KEEP KENDERDINE! Two simple words that resonate with anyone ever connected to Emma Lake Kenderdine Campus. I am a singer/songwriter from Saskatoon. For the past 6 years, I have been connected to Kenderdine through the yearly Songwriters Retreat, both as a student and as a facilitator; the Creative Residency to work on my craft; and the Kids Art and Ecology Program with my grandson. There is a thank you dedication to Kenderdine on my debut album All Over the Map that reads “where I find my creative spirit every year”.
To me, Kenderdine is creative heaven - a place where I focus entirely on songwriting. Working long hours; trying out new material around the campfire or in Snelgrove classroom in the evenings; sleeping until the meal bell sounds; heading for breakfast in my jammies and a hoodie; and then back to work. Usually writing on my own, sometimes co-writing, but always surrounded by others doing exactly the same thing. Everyone engrossed in their passion - a wide variety of artists and students.
Breaks are a walk in the forest; a canoe ride over to Fairy Island; or sitting on the dock looking up at the stars. On our last night, we always put on a show for everyone on site and the neighbourhood cabin owners. I know of at least 7 other songwriters that moved from beginner/hobby/closet songwriting to recording, playing and touring as a result of their time at Kenderdine.
Saskatchewan is a young province with very few heritage sites - places that contribute to the cultural growth of our community. Kenderdine is such a place.
Lyn Besse McGinnis
Singer, Songwriter
Saskatoon, SK
To me, Kenderdine is creative heaven - a place where I focus entirely on songwriting. Working long hours; trying out new material around the campfire or in Snelgrove classroom in the evenings; sleeping until the meal bell sounds; heading for breakfast in my jammies and a hoodie; and then back to work. Usually writing on my own, sometimes co-writing, but always surrounded by others doing exactly the same thing. Everyone engrossed in their passion - a wide variety of artists and students.
Breaks are a walk in the forest; a canoe ride over to Fairy Island; or sitting on the dock looking up at the stars. On our last night, we always put on a show for everyone on site and the neighbourhood cabin owners. I know of at least 7 other songwriters that moved from beginner/hobby/closet songwriting to recording, playing and touring as a result of their time at Kenderdine.
Saskatchewan is a young province with very few heritage sites - places that contribute to the cultural growth of our community. Kenderdine is such a place.
Lyn Besse McGinnis
Singer, Songwriter
Saskatoon, SK
My first memories of Kenderdine are from when I was a little girl. My father, Myles MacDonald, taught landscape painting there in the summers, and some days my mom, brother and I would join him there for dinner. As a child, I was really fascinated by the round dining hall. Sometimes we even modeled for his students. I also remember the students visiting us at home so they could see my father's studio and our house, which was filled with art.
Years later, when I was about 21, Degen Lindner, who was a friend of my parents, asked me to model for her students at Kenderdine one evening. I was happy to do it! Not only was it nice to model again, it also lead to a wonderful friendship with Degen. Now not a summer has gone by that I don't visit her at her cabin, spend time walking through the campus, and canoeing out to the island where we inspect Ernie's old cabin.
I left Canada in 2007, and have worked abroad since then. I currently work as a journalist in Oman, a peaceful country in the Arabian Gulf, but every summer I go back to Saskatchewan to visit family and friends. Kenderdine has always been a part of my trip home, and I was devastated to hear that it would close for three years. I was also very afraid that "three years" was simply a cover-up and that the administration had no intention of ever reopening it, but selling it off to some big property developer. I know how much Kenderdine has meant to my father, Degen, their students, and even me, and I urge the University of Saskatchewan to keep it open.
Sincerely,
Sarah MacDonald
Special Correspondent
Muscat, Oman
Years later, when I was about 21, Degen Lindner, who was a friend of my parents, asked me to model for her students at Kenderdine one evening. I was happy to do it! Not only was it nice to model again, it also lead to a wonderful friendship with Degen. Now not a summer has gone by that I don't visit her at her cabin, spend time walking through the campus, and canoeing out to the island where we inspect Ernie's old cabin.
I left Canada in 2007, and have worked abroad since then. I currently work as a journalist in Oman, a peaceful country in the Arabian Gulf, but every summer I go back to Saskatchewan to visit family and friends. Kenderdine has always been a part of my trip home, and I was devastated to hear that it would close for three years. I was also very afraid that "three years" was simply a cover-up and that the administration had no intention of ever reopening it, but selling it off to some big property developer. I know how much Kenderdine has meant to my father, Degen, their students, and even me, and I urge the University of Saskatchewan to keep it open.
Sincerely,
Sarah MacDonald
Special Correspondent
Muscat, Oman
"As a landscape painter I have spent painting time now going back thirty years at Emma Lake. I admit that over time any painting place can be special as it is, I think, an entrance into a sensibility that isn't entirely artist or landscape. But many important artists have discovered that Emma Lake is a power point; that the landscape itself is mythic in the same way that the northern shield of Ontario was so to Tom Thomson, that the area north of La Loche was important to my friend the photographer, Dave O'Hara, and the west coast to Emily Carr. Artists are important because they see and absorb environments differently than others. This idea doesn't have a lot of clout in contemporary thinking on the arts. It has somehow become old-fashioned and provincial.
I remember the story of the giant Spruce in front of the old Kenderdine cabin. Decadent and well past its prime, it had been painted by amateurs and professionals, including Kenderdine himself. One weekend when the campus was empty I was told that the outfit in charge of forest maintenance took it upon themselves to cut the tree down. From their perspective it was a hazard. They had none of the background or history that allowed them to see that the tree was historically important, even iconic. The campus itself, as it falls to the same type of logic, is in danger of being lost; incomprehensible to those of us who have spent serious time there. What is also very discouraging is that the shape of plans to better the facilities demonstrates that Emma Lake is still not understood. Simple accommodation and access are all that are needed to remember those from the past and to maintain it for the future.”
Clint Hunker
Visual Artist, Educator
Saskatoon, SK.
I remember the story of the giant Spruce in front of the old Kenderdine cabin. Decadent and well past its prime, it had been painted by amateurs and professionals, including Kenderdine himself. One weekend when the campus was empty I was told that the outfit in charge of forest maintenance took it upon themselves to cut the tree down. From their perspective it was a hazard. They had none of the background or history that allowed them to see that the tree was historically important, even iconic. The campus itself, as it falls to the same type of logic, is in danger of being lost; incomprehensible to those of us who have spent serious time there. What is also very discouraging is that the shape of plans to better the facilities demonstrates that Emma Lake is still not understood. Simple accommodation and access are all that are needed to remember those from the past and to maintain it for the future.”
Clint Hunker
Visual Artist, Educator
Saskatoon, SK.
As a 6 time instructor (songwriting retreat) at the Kenderdine campus I was shocked an appalled with the U of S' decision to close it. The long term effect of this campus is world wide in scope. This decision appears greedy and self serving. We all know how much that real estate is worth and how deeply in debt the U of S is. 1 + 1 = 2 most times. The sale of this campus would go a long way toward paying back that debt. The debt was created by the University itself and is neither the responsibility of the Kenderdine campus' staff nor is it the responsibility of the artisans who attend the campus to pay it back. The savings by closing the campus are miniscule. The numbers presented by the U of S as to how much it would cost to retrofit the campus are so overly inflated it is laughable to me; Laughable if it were not so sad.
I strongly implore the U of S to re-open this campus immediately and find other ways to pay back its own debt. The arts community is Saskatchewan is already reeling from the backwards policies of the provinces current conservative government. I am a case in point as a recent "artistic refuge" of Saskatchewan. In March 2012, Brad Wall canceled the film industry tax credit. I worked in both the film and music industries full time in Saskatchewan. This policy, in conjunction with Sask Music's new "commercial music only" policy caused my partner and I moved to BC in November of 2012 as we could no longer live in a province that so grossly undervalued its artisans. Word of the U of S' closure of this wonderful campus came just weeks prior to our moving to BC and it truly broke my heart. This decision is mean spirited, short sighted and mired in inappropriate financial speculation. If there is anything I can do to help from afar I will.
I strongly suggest the U of S reconsider this mean spirited and inept decision.
Thank you for your time,
David j Taylor
Producer, Educator, Singer/Songwriter
Sechelt, BC Canada
I strongly implore the U of S to re-open this campus immediately and find other ways to pay back its own debt. The arts community is Saskatchewan is already reeling from the backwards policies of the provinces current conservative government. I am a case in point as a recent "artistic refuge" of Saskatchewan. In March 2012, Brad Wall canceled the film industry tax credit. I worked in both the film and music industries full time in Saskatchewan. This policy, in conjunction with Sask Music's new "commercial music only" policy caused my partner and I moved to BC in November of 2012 as we could no longer live in a province that so grossly undervalued its artisans. Word of the U of S' closure of this wonderful campus came just weeks prior to our moving to BC and it truly broke my heart. This decision is mean spirited, short sighted and mired in inappropriate financial speculation. If there is anything I can do to help from afar I will.
I strongly suggest the U of S reconsider this mean spirited and inept decision.
Thank you for your time,
David j Taylor
Producer, Educator, Singer/Songwriter
Sechelt, BC Canada
I was fortunate enough to have the Kenderdine experience at the 2010 and 2012 Jazz Composers' Symposiums hosted by Dean McNeill and the University of Saskatchewan, and I can attest to the fact that the experience is unique in Canada today.
While it is true that there was a time when many people in Canada had a cottage at the lake, that time is past; owning lakefront property is an expensive venture and it is a privileged few that can now afford it. Artists in particular are less likely to be able to participate. To be able to have the experience of communing with nature without necessarily sleeping in a tent; to be able to focus on your art without having to worry about cooking and cleaning up; to be able to jump in a canoe if you feel like it; to be able to consort with all manner of artists; these are rare luxuries for most of us. To be able to do it at a relatively low cost is, ironically, priceless.
The second Symposium, in 2012, doubled the number of participants and doubled the distance from whence they came; I have no doubt that 2014 could see another expansion, just on word of mouth. Imagine if they advertised a little?
We were just starting to integrate with the visual artists in 2012, and I have no doubt that cross-disciplinary programming would be coordinated in future. The possibilities are myriad.
But I guess one has to value those things.
U of S has a golden opportunity to become a magnet for interdisciplinary arts collaborations; if they lose the campus, they lose it for all time.
Choose wisely; save Kenderdine.
Sincerely,
Bill Prouten
Jazz composer, Performer, Educator
While it is true that there was a time when many people in Canada had a cottage at the lake, that time is past; owning lakefront property is an expensive venture and it is a privileged few that can now afford it. Artists in particular are less likely to be able to participate. To be able to have the experience of communing with nature without necessarily sleeping in a tent; to be able to focus on your art without having to worry about cooking and cleaning up; to be able to jump in a canoe if you feel like it; to be able to consort with all manner of artists; these are rare luxuries for most of us. To be able to do it at a relatively low cost is, ironically, priceless.
The second Symposium, in 2012, doubled the number of participants and doubled the distance from whence they came; I have no doubt that 2014 could see another expansion, just on word of mouth. Imagine if they advertised a little?
We were just starting to integrate with the visual artists in 2012, and I have no doubt that cross-disciplinary programming would be coordinated in future. The possibilities are myriad.
But I guess one has to value those things.
U of S has a golden opportunity to become a magnet for interdisciplinary arts collaborations; if they lose the campus, they lose it for all time.
Choose wisely; save Kenderdine.
Sincerely,
Bill Prouten
Jazz composer, Performer, Educator
As a past student of the Kenderdine classes, I strongly oppose closing this place of historical significance. It is unique, and known world wide, and certainly fills a need .
Irene Knott
Irene Knott
Hi. I'm 10 years old and these are my memories of Art & Ecology Camp at Kenderdine:
- learning how to build a shelter out of fallen logs and moss;
- exploring the forest to find cool stuff to draw;
- building a small 3D map of campus with rocks, leaves, twigs etc.;
- going to cool places in the forest like the rock maze with my instructors;
- making cool art crafts like tie-died shirts;
- really good food at the cafeteria;
- building sand castles at the beach; and
- taking one class makes you want to do more and more because they are so fun!
Please keep Kenderdine. There are a lot of kids who will help with fundraising.
Ty
- learning how to build a shelter out of fallen logs and moss;
- exploring the forest to find cool stuff to draw;
- building a small 3D map of campus with rocks, leaves, twigs etc.;
- going to cool places in the forest like the rock maze with my instructors;
- making cool art crafts like tie-died shirts;
- really good food at the cafeteria;
- building sand castles at the beach; and
- taking one class makes you want to do more and more because they are so fun!
Please keep Kenderdine. There are a lot of kids who will help with fundraising.
Ty
Over 20 years ago the Saskatchewan Cultural Exchange Society was approached by a group of Fiddlers looking to preserve fiddle music in the province. As elders they were aware that fewer and fewer youth were learning to fiddle, the variety of playing styles localized to regions in Saskatchewan was being lost and the accompanying dances jigs, reels and waltzes were also being lost.
Cultural Exchange searched for a facility to host a workshop learning environment and so the Emma Lake Fiddle Camp came into being. It was a wonderful environment to learn and share music in. People came from across the province, the nation and internationally, to learn guitar, to play the fiddle, to learn the traditional dances and to write songs together. New fiddle playing styles were developed while old styles were retained; consider the loss to the musicology of Saskatchewan if the Kenderdine Campus had not been available.
Kenderdine’s vision was a tremendous legacy to future generations in a time that was not noted for its wealth. It is hard to believe that in this time of plenty the University of Saskatchewan is contemplating such steps that would result in a great loss to the Saskatchewan people. If, indeed, the campus is to be developed into something other than it’s current purpose – a place, in nature, to express individual creativity and learning. The University should retain the original purpose of the campus and indeed invest in the current structures.
Margaret Fry
Executive Director
Saskatchewan Cultural Exchange Society
The Kenderdine Experience
‘Kenderdine’ is one of those rare experiences where culture genuinely meets nature, and where learning rubs up against the need, the demand, to see and to listen. This is where that thin strand that connects humility and ambition at the core of human endeavor, has a home.
My first experience of Kenderdine was in 1982, as an impoverished art student staying in my Dodge B200 camper van in the parking lot because I could only afford the International Artist’s Workshop participant fee. Sixteen days of bananas and oatmeal, and one of the most inspiring creative engagements of my 54 years on this earth. Guest artist Stanley Boxer, the tough-talking New York painter, had the 30 or so workshop participants ramped up to a greater understanding of their own work if not new heights. He scolded us, intimidated us, stripped us of the false confidences and our often shallow successes that we had brought with us to the workshop. All of this he did under a sky quite foreign to him, (he slept with his boots on the first four nights because of the July cold, and didn’t quite know how to negotiate the fallen log on the path to the bar). When one of the participants stared out at the Emma Lake sunset one night, saying “It looks like one of my paintings”, Boxer’s retort came Broadway swiftly (but with more expletives), “Your humility needs as much work as your painting”. Kenderdine and The International Artist’s Workshop came at the right time for this young and callow artist.
Since then I have been back to Kenderdine on two occasions as guest artist, one most notable as my visiting toddler daughter took her first running steps in the dining hall to Haidah’s and my delight. Inspiration at Kenderdine is infectious. Artists, writers and musicians work quietly beside biology and education students. The food is simple, the accommodation is basic. We can get down to work without distraction. Good work, made better because we are afforded the luxury of, (as stated in the lovely phrasing), “Silence and solitude; Saskatchewan’s gifts to bedeviled modern humankind”. This is the picture of the ‘academy’ in its most elemental, classical sense.
Why wouldn’t we value this? Why wouldn’t we preserve and promote this rare treasure of learning and achievement? This commitment would be modest by all standards. The only answer that I can think of is that we as a community have lost the courage to see, and to hear, where knowledge comes from. What is a university without all the trappings? The Kenderdine experience.
Grant McConnell
President and National Spokesperson of CARFAC National (Canadian Artists Representation)
‘Kenderdine’ is one of those rare experiences where culture genuinely meets nature, and where learning rubs up against the need, the demand, to see and to listen. This is where that thin strand that connects humility and ambition at the core of human endeavor, has a home.
My first experience of Kenderdine was in 1982, as an impoverished art student staying in my Dodge B200 camper van in the parking lot because I could only afford the International Artist’s Workshop participant fee. Sixteen days of bananas and oatmeal, and one of the most inspiring creative engagements of my 54 years on this earth. Guest artist Stanley Boxer, the tough-talking New York painter, had the 30 or so workshop participants ramped up to a greater understanding of their own work if not new heights. He scolded us, intimidated us, stripped us of the false confidences and our often shallow successes that we had brought with us to the workshop. All of this he did under a sky quite foreign to him, (he slept with his boots on the first four nights because of the July cold, and didn’t quite know how to negotiate the fallen log on the path to the bar). When one of the participants stared out at the Emma Lake sunset one night, saying “It looks like one of my paintings”, Boxer’s retort came Broadway swiftly (but with more expletives), “Your humility needs as much work as your painting”. Kenderdine and The International Artist’s Workshop came at the right time for this young and callow artist.
Since then I have been back to Kenderdine on two occasions as guest artist, one most notable as my visiting toddler daughter took her first running steps in the dining hall to Haidah’s and my delight. Inspiration at Kenderdine is infectious. Artists, writers and musicians work quietly beside biology and education students. The food is simple, the accommodation is basic. We can get down to work without distraction. Good work, made better because we are afforded the luxury of, (as stated in the lovely phrasing), “Silence and solitude; Saskatchewan’s gifts to bedeviled modern humankind”. This is the picture of the ‘academy’ in its most elemental, classical sense.
Why wouldn’t we value this? Why wouldn’t we preserve and promote this rare treasure of learning and achievement? This commitment would be modest by all standards. The only answer that I can think of is that we as a community have lost the courage to see, and to hear, where knowledge comes from. What is a university without all the trappings? The Kenderdine experience.
Grant McConnell
President and National Spokesperson of CARFAC National (Canadian Artists Representation)
In the summers of 2010 & 2012 the Kenderdine Campus hosted the UofS Jazz Composers' Retreat. In 2012 this collective of 30 musicians included professional jazz artists and university faculty from across Canada who joined UofS university students for 1 week. The Kenderdine Campus' inspirational setting was key to the wonderful synergetic vibe of the retreat as the campus itself significantly augmented the net creativity and productivity of all the artists in attendance. The opportunity to interact with other fine artists-in-residence, like visual artists taking a painting course, was a huge benefit to the jazz artists. The Kenderdine Campus is a special place; the retreat would not have been the same were it held in another location.
Dean McNeill
University of Saskatchewan Professor of Brass/Jazz
Dean McNeill
University of Saskatchewan Professor of Brass/Jazz
My first experience as a writer who has spent time at the Kenderdine Campus on many occasions was around 1981 when I attended a writers’ retreat sponsored by the Saskatchewan Writers Guild. I found the place very simply a wonderful place to write and during my two week stay I wrote most of a book of poems and even did a number of sketches in pen and ink. Since that first Kenderdine Campus experience I have been back many times over the ensuing years to write, either as part of a writers’ retreat, as an artist-in-residence on several occasions, but also several times on my own for my own personal retreat and for writing time. I have always found it a near-magical place that seems to possess its own aura of energy and magnetism and creativity. Some of my best poems have been written on Kenderdine Campus and I hope that I will be afforded the opportunity to write more at this place because I am confident that this wonderful parkland retreat is too important to be moth-balled by the short-sighted decision of those who apparently have little understanding of the worth and the importance of what has been entrusted to them to preserve. The Kenderdine Campus has been a gathering place where creative artists of every art form have been able to come together to practice their art and to continue to learn. But almost as important, it has been a place where artists of one discipline have been able to mingle with artists of other disciplines in a kind of cross-disciplinary fertilization. I have been so pleased to have discussed various creative ideas and notions with others, while also making friends who were painters, sculptors, ceramic artists, writers, musicians, songwriters, photographers – all of them at Kenderdine Campus. Think of the many hundreds of individual artists who are no doubt able to say the same thing as I about their own personal experience with Emma Lake and with Kenderdine Campus. I believe this place is far too significant to the history of the arts in this province for it to be allowed to be quietly fade away. I will not be happy until Kenderdine Campus is up and running with full programs again. More than that, I want to see it accessible to all manner of creative people of Saskatchewan, so that the spirit of Kenderdine continues to infuse the artistic history and development of this province.
Glen Sorestad
Writer, Saskatoon
Glen Sorestad
Writer, Saskatoon
There is no question that Kenderdine has unique historical, cultural and academic value in our province and beyond. The decision of the University to close it down, at least for the next three years, points out the importance of support groups such as Keep Kenderdine.
Alumni from the University have been providing support to their selected U of S college or favorite university initiative for decades. The same type of donor giving is true for hospitals, sports teams, and the list goes on. Kenderdine can be no different. It needs individuals to step up to the plate both as well-informed advocates and as donors. Pointing fingers, name-calling, saying we pay taxes so that should cover it, and shifting responsibility to “those guys over there” is not the answer, whether we like it or not. Instead, by being a donor, regardless of the amount, you direct what would otherwise be tax money to a specific cause rather than letting government decide what to do with it; you help demonstrate to the decision makers that public support is significant and measurable; and you lead by example, encouraging others – especially major individual and corporate donors, as well as granting agencies – to come to the table.
As a couple who are both U of S grads, who appreciate the value of the arts in our lives and our community, who have proudly lived in Saskatchewan, run a business here, and raised our families here, we will be happy to donate our modest bit to Kenderdine Campus when it is in a position to accept donations. We will do so knowing that our support will be needed not only today, but also from now on.
Ray and Debbie Penner
Saskatoon
Alumni from the University have been providing support to their selected U of S college or favorite university initiative for decades. The same type of donor giving is true for hospitals, sports teams, and the list goes on. Kenderdine can be no different. It needs individuals to step up to the plate both as well-informed advocates and as donors. Pointing fingers, name-calling, saying we pay taxes so that should cover it, and shifting responsibility to “those guys over there” is not the answer, whether we like it or not. Instead, by being a donor, regardless of the amount, you direct what would otherwise be tax money to a specific cause rather than letting government decide what to do with it; you help demonstrate to the decision makers that public support is significant and measurable; and you lead by example, encouraging others – especially major individual and corporate donors, as well as granting agencies – to come to the table.
As a couple who are both U of S grads, who appreciate the value of the arts in our lives and our community, who have proudly lived in Saskatchewan, run a business here, and raised our families here, we will be happy to donate our modest bit to Kenderdine Campus when it is in a position to accept donations. We will do so knowing that our support will be needed not only today, but also from now on.
Ray and Debbie Penner
Saskatoon