Media Release: for release Wednesday, September 17, 2014, at 3 p.m. CST
Saskatoon —Philanthropist and European printmaking specialist Frederick Mulder today announced, on behalf of the U.K.-based Frederick Mulder Foundation, the gift of an important collection of ceramics, made by Pablo Picasso, to the Remai Modern Art Gallery of Saskatchewan.
The 23 works, including ceramic plates, tiles, vessels, vases and sculptures, are valued at $500,000. The pottery collection enhances an already exceptional collection of 406 linocuts by Picasso, assembled by Mulder and subsequently purchased by the Frank and Ellen Remai Foundation and donated to the Gallery in 2012.
“We are delighted to receive this important gift and applaud Frederick Mulder for his generosity and belief in the vision for Remai Modern,” said Executive Director & CEO Gregory Burke. “The gift builds on our holdings of one of the most influential artists of the 20th century and will enhance our ability to interpret and present significant aspects of Picasso’s artistic practice. The gift is broad in range, while several ceramics are thematically connected to the linocuts. Altogether, they make for a comprehensive collection that will excite visitors, students and researchers when Remai Modern opens.”
Frederick Mulder said: “I am delighted to present these Picasso ceramics to the Remai Modern, and to know that the residents of Saskatoon and well beyond will be able to enjoy these innovative and playful aspects of Picasso’s work. They will serve as a wonderful bridge between the highly important Picasso linocut collection in the Remai Modern, and the tradition of Saskatchewan art ceramics. I loved growing up in Saskatchewan, and I count myself lucky to be able to give something back to the city and the province that gave so much to me.”
The ceramics will be exhibited in a gallery dedicated to Picasso and works of international modernity at Remai Modern, Burke said. The new gallery, under construction at Saskatoon’s River Landing, is scheduled to open in 2016.
About Frederick Mulder
Mulder grew up in Eston, Saskatchewan. He is one of the world’s experts in 19th- and 20th-century European printmaking, including the work of Pablo Picasso. He is Director of Frederick Mulder Ltd., a firm dealing in European printmaking 1470-1970. He chairs the Frederick Mulder Foundation, which supports social change projects and the arts. He is also founder of The Funding Network, a UK-based organization that arranges live, crowd-funding events in aid of social change projects. Winner of the Judges’ Special Beacon Fellowship Prize in 2004, he was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire by the Queen in 2012.
For further information and images, contact:
Sheila Robertson, Communications Coordinator
Mendel Art Gallery / Remai Modern Art Gallery of Saskatchewan
306-975-2242 [email protected]
www.remaimodern.org
