Don LePan, a novelist, book publisher, and painter, argues that public art galleries across Canada are failing to display their permanent collections, using the MacKenzie Art Gallery in Regina as a prime example. During a visit in early March, LePan found that none of the gallery's extensive permanent collection—which includes works by Group of Seven artists, European masters like Picasso and Gauguin, and modernists such as Agnes Martin—was on view. Instead, the entire exhibition space was devoted to three special shows: a photographic and conceptual art exhibition by Plains Cree artist Joi T. Arcand, a selection of works by 2025 Governor General’s Awards in Visual and Media Arts recipients, and an Indigenous art exhibition. LePan praises these exhibits but criticizes the gallery's decision to completely exclude its permanent collection.
This matters because LePan sees a troubling trend in Canadian public galleries: prioritizing contemporary conceptual, photographic, and Indigenous art while neglecting the country's broader artistic heritage, including European-influenced painting, works on paper, and sculpture. He argues that such an imbalance implicitly devalues the traditions brought by European settlers and the full range of genres that have shaped Canadian art. As public institutions funded by taxpayers, galleries like the MacKenzie have a responsibility to represent diverse artistic legacies, not just the most current or politically favored ones. The article raises fundamental questions about curatorial philosophy, cultural representation, and the role of public museums in preserving and sharing art history.