Fonds F147 - Norman MacKenzie Art Gallery Fonds

The MacKenzie receives its name from Norman MacKenzie, a Regina-based lawyer who had a passion for art. MacKenzie had a vision for an encyclopedic museum in the standard colonial model of that era, acquiring historical works from Europe and cultural artifacts from across the world. When he passed away in 1936, he bequeathed his collection to the Regina Campus of the University of Saskatchewan (now the University of Regina), which led to the opening of the Norman MacKenzie Art Gallery in 1953.

In its early years, the MacKenzie had an intimate connection to the Fine Arts program at the University, including the Emma Lake Artists’ Workshops. The Gallery quickly became a hub for the avant-garde and a driving force in sharing the stories of Saskatchewan through its collections, exhibitions, and programs. The Gallery’s first director was Ronald Bloore, who later became a founding member of the Regina Five and an influential figure in Saskatchewan’s artistic landscape. The MacKenzie became independent from the University in 1990 when it moved to its current site in the T.C. Douglas Building. It continues to have a close relationship with the University of Regina through the care of its collection, cross-appointments, work studies, and other ongoing partnerships.