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Andrée Felley-Martinson in a photo by Tony Burton. (Submitted/Mann Art Gallery)
Legacy

Local painter bequeaths $10,000 to Mann Art Gallery

Dec 20, 2020 | 10:00 AM

The director/curator of the Mann Art Gallery says he’s “ecstatic” at news the gallery has received an unexpected bequest from the estate of a local artist.

The late painter Andrée Felley-Martinson has instructed that the $10,000 gift be used for the capital purchase of art.

“It really was a surprise to all of us, so it’s just so wonderful,” Marcus Miller, director/curator at the Mann Art Gallery told paNOW.

“And the fact that she earmarked this for the purchase of art is also wonderful. That means that anything buy and show in the future, it’s always going to in honour of her.”

The Mann Art Gallery has nearly 100 pieces of Felley-Martinson’s work in its permanent collection, much of it acquired under the tenure of former director/curator Jesse Campbell who developed a close relationship with the artist.

Felley-Martinson’s work was exhibited in a retrospective exhibition at the Mann in 2015. At the time, the artist was 95.

Miller said he has plenty of pieces in mind that he’s interested in buying, but the public will have to wait for the new year to find out how the gallery plans to use the money.

He explained a donation of this size makes a “big difference” to the Mann.

“We’ve got one of the most important collections in Saskatchewan and this just amplifies us and makes us more important,” he said. “It’s great news for Prince Albert and it’s great news for the Mann Gallery.”

alison.sandstrom@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @alisandstrom

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