Douglas and Bonnie Bentham (courtesy The Gallery/Art Placement
Bonnie Bentham died, age 78, on May 16 at a long-term care home in Saskatoon, Sask., a few minutes drive from the rural property she had lived on for 54 years.
Born in Wynyard, Sask. on Jan. 10, 1947, Bentham grew up in Saskatoon. She founded Art Placement Inc. in Saskatoon in 1978 with her husband, artist Douglas Bentham, Robert Christie and Minerva Gossen.
Bentham remained involved in the business for 35 years. The gallery represents some of Canada's top artists, including William Perehudoff, Ruth Cuthand, Allen Sapp and many others.
Levi Nicholat and Donald Roach took over the gallery in 2013, but Bentham still enjoyed stopping by to visit.
“We always say that at Art Placement our staff is like a family. Yesterday, we lost our matriarch. She would hate me using that word — I can hear her voice sarcastically drawing it out in jest — but it’s hard to find a word that encapsulates everything Bonnie Bentham meant to us,” said Melodie Briand in a note from the gallery.
“Bonnie was not an artist herself, but her impact on the Saskatoon art community is immeasurable. As co-founder and co-owner of art placement for 35 years, her work every day and the relationships she cultivated enriched the lives of generations of artists in our community. Her work managing her husband Doug’s art career contributed to his sculptures becoming part of Saskatoon’s urban landscape.”
Bentham is survived by her husband Douglas Bentham, her children, grandchildren and many, many friends. There will be no formal funeral. Instead, her family is planning a celebration of her life; details will be announced later this summer.
Source: The Gallery/Art Placement
