Prince Albert’s Executive Committee has backed a 10-year support agreement with Mann Art Gallery, sending the deal to CIty Council for final approval.
The proposed agreement would begin Jan. 1, 2027 and move municipal funding for the gallery out of the annual external agency grant process and into the Parks, Recreation and Culture operating budget. The recommendation will move forward to council for approval.
The agreement follows a presentation to the council earlier this year from Mann Art Gallery representatives, who asked the City for a more predictable relationship that would allow for long-term planning.
In June, administrative director Carolyn Carleton told council the gallery had strengthened its governance, financial reporting and strategic planning, but needed a sustainable agreement with the City to plan for the future. The Daily Herald reported at the time that the gallery pointed to the City’s agreement with the Prince Albert Historical Society as a possible model.
Arts and Culture Manager Judy MacLeod Campbell told Executive Committee Monday the proposed agreement would provide that stability while recognizing the services the gallery provides to the City.
“The agreement would provide stable and predictable funding through these annual increases of five per cent,” MacLeod Campbell said.
Mann Art Gallery administrative director Carolyn Carleton and artistic director Jesse Campbell were in attendance, along with board members Diane Mann and George Glenn.
The Mann Art Gallery currently receives $100,000 annually from the City. Under the proposal, that would rise to $105,000 in 2027, with five per cent increases each year after that. The gallery has not received an increase in municipal funding since 2019.
The gallery had requested $167,500 through the external agency process for 2026, an increase of $67,500. The City’s report said that request reflected inflation since 2019 along with support for staffing.
Coun. Darren Solomon questioned why the proposed annual increase was five per cent when the Historical Society agreement uses 3.5 per cent.
MacLeod Campbell said the two arrangements are different. She said the gallery provides about $8,000 a year in identifiable services through artwork displayed in municipal facilities and programming at the John V. Hicks Gallery, without including other work on public art and cultural initiatives.
Jody Boulet, director of Parks, Recreation and Culture, said the Historical Society agreement provided a framework, but the services provided by each organization are not the same.
“I wouldn’t call both agreements an apples to apples comparison,” Boulet said.
Boulet said a formal long-term agreement also gives the gallery stronger evidence of municipal support when applying for outside grants, allowing City funding to be used to help leverage additional money.
The gallery also maintains and rotates artwork in City facilities, helps program the John V. Hicks Gallery at the Margo Fournier Arts Centre and participates in municipal cultural and public art initiatives.
Those programs have been visible in the community. Earlier this year, the Mann Art Gallery’s annual High School Juried Art Show featured 67 young artists, with its awards reception moving into the E.A. Rawlinson Centre theatre as attendance continued to grow.
The agreement also comes as Prince Albert’s arts community continues to show strong public involvement. The City’s report identifies arts and culture as part of downtown revitalization, community connection and cultural tourism, while the gallery’s work extends beyond its exhibition space through education programs, public art initiatives and partnerships across the city.
Coun. Blake Edwards said he had initially been hesitant about the agreement, but supported it after hearing administration’s explanation.
“This is definitely stability,” Edwards said.
The motion carried. The recommendation will now go to a Regular City Council meeting for final approval.
arjun.pillai@paherald.sk.ca
