Ellen Remai Receives Prestigious Award From French Government

Expand

Ellen Remai

Saskatchewan philanthropist Ellen Remai has received France's prestigious Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters (chevalier de l’ordre des Arts et des Lettres) in recognition of her outstanding support for the arts.

Remai, Remai Modern’s lead patron and co-founder of the Frank and Ellen Remai Foundation, is the first person in Saskatchewan to receive the award.

It was presented to her by Michel Miraillet, the French Ambassador to Canada, at a ceremony in Remai Modern’s Collection Galleries on Wednesday.

The Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters/chevalier de l’ordre des Arts et des Lettres was given to Remai to acknowledge her “commitment to the arts, her support of French artists — which has recently included exhibitions by Céline Condorelli and Laure Prouvost — and her contributions to artistic collaborations with France. It also recognizes her landmark donation of the world’s most comprehensive collection of linocuts by Pablo Picasso, the renowned artist whose life and creations are closely linked to France,” according to the news release.

In 2012, the Frank and Ellen Remai Foundation donated 405 Picasso linocuts to Remai Modern. In 2022, Remai gave the gallery a $10-million commitment to support moving to by-donation admission for the next 20 years.

PS: Worried you missed something? See previous Galleries West stories here or sign up for our free biweekly newsletter.