Grandmother believed in boy's artistic talent

Page 13

Some things about Allen Sapp you should know. He has stayed true to his vision, all his life it seems like, becoming materially successful on his own terms. The other things you should know is that he is proud to be an Indian and he is proud of what he has accomplished as an artist, but he never fell into the trap of producing knock-off 'Native art' to make a buck. In fact, he used to be criticized sometimes for not painting the stereotypical Norval Morrisseau derivatives that gallery hoppers buy from some other Indians as "the real stuff."

Today, Sapp's portrayal of rural life on the Red Pheasant Indian Reserve in the Saskatchewan of the first half of this century has come into its own. You know when you view one of Sapp's pictures you are seeing a slice of his reality and not a copy of somebody else's. It's the real Plains Cree life of days gone by, which Sapp is painstakingly recording so people don't forget. Sapp's culture and heritage are set down in every brush stroke. All you have to do is look.

Many have, and many have recognized the same talent that Sapp's grandmother, Maggie Soonias, believed in and encouraged more than 60 years ago. His art is and has been exhibited and sold in galleries around the world, recently in the trendy Yorkville Avenue district of Toronto. There is also a permanent collection of his works in a gallery baring his name in North Battleford, Sask., where he lives. A retrospective of his work toured Canadian cities for two years before closing at the Canadian Museum of Civilization in 1996. Many honors have come to Sapp as a result of his lengthy artistic career.

In 1975, for instance, Sapp was elected to membership in the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts, which recognized his "outstanding achievements in the visual arts field."

Diane Rosenthal, director of the Hollander York Gallery in Toronto, prices Sapp's paintings into the thousands of dollars now. She describes them as "focused, celebrating a family-centred time . . . an optimistic look at his life as a child on the reserve - nostalgic and . . . a little bit impressionistic."

Rosenthal reinforces that Sapp's art is grounded in the daily life of his people in the 1930s and 1940s, when they still lived without modern conveniences; ii does not reflect the mythological themes of a lot of Native art.

It is the nature of the business that there have always been some critics, though.

"Sometime people say I have painted too many winter scenes," Sapp explains; "but nobody says the Group of Seven painted too many landscapes." Sapp still enjoys doing what he does and that seems to be enough for most people.

But there is more to Allen Sapp than his paintings. Aboriginal people are proud that he maintains his strong cultural ties and provides a positive, progressive array of Indian values their youth can carry into the next century. He speaks his Cree language and he is proud to be a traditional dancer, too, Sapp will tell you.

In 1985, Sapp became one of the first recipients of the Saskatchewan Order of Merit; in 1987 he was named Officer of the Order of Canada; and in 1996 the Saskatchewan Arts Board gave him the Lifetime Award for Excellence in the Arts. Last spring, the University of Regina bestowed on Sapp an honorary doctorate. Along the way, three books reproducing his art, and a number of film documentaries have brought Sapp's perspective on life to the world. On March 12, the Aboriginal people of Canada recognized Sapp's great legacy and contribution, by selecting him for the National Aboriginal Achievement Award for Lifetime Achievement.

Sapp's manager, John Kurtz, related how Sapp enjoys sharing his good fortune with others. He has donated his time and his art to worthy causes, and he cares a lot about helping children, Kurtz said.

That means passing on stories in the traditional Cree way. Sapp urges children to learn all they can about their culture, so it will provide them strength throughout life. And, Sapp adds earnestly, he tlls them to get an education, to "listen to their parents and teachers - to learn English and Cree."