The Buchanan Collection

The Buchanan Collection is a collection of 47 works currently owned by the Lethbridge Polytechnic, gifted by locals Hugh and Donald Buchanan in honour of their parents, Senator William Buchanan and his wife, Alma Buchanan. The collection was originally offered in 1958 to the City of Lethbridge, under the stipulation that a space with “properly designed exhibition room for paintings and storage space for handling travelling art exhibitions” be built within three years of the agreement. When the deadline passed and no center was built, the collection was then gifted to Lethbridge Polytechnic, where it has resided since 1963. Works from the collection have been featured in multiple institutions since then, including the Southern Alberta Art Gallery, the Glenbow Museum, and even the National Gallery of Canada.

The collection itself is an excellent sample of Canadian Art that not only includes work from some of Canada’s most well-known artists, but also covers many major Canadian Art movements and styles, from the Group of Seven’s search for a distinctly “Canadian” art style in the 1920’s right up to the rise of modernism and abstraction in the 1950’s and 1960’s. Donald’s presence in the Canadian arts and culture scene undoubtedly played a role in shaping this collection. He founded the National Film Society of Canada (now the Canadian Film Institute), co-edited the Canadian Art Journal, and was Associate Director of the National Gallery of Canada. He also worked as the Director of Talks and Public Affairs for the Canadian Radio Commission (now CBC Radio) and co-founded both the Ottawa Times and National Film Board. Additionally, he authored various written works during his lifetime, including 12 books and over 120 journal articles, largely focused on Canadian art and design. Donald understood the importance of enriching one’s life with art and truly felt it was important to keep these works in Lethbridge, so that future generations could have an excellent example of Canadian art history right at home.

Since its donation just over sixty years ago, the collection has had a substantial impact on our community. Throughout the 1970’s and 1980’s, works were displayed in various institutions locally, nationally, and even internationally. In 2020, annual paid summer internships were established around the collection. Five students – Kevyn Sanders, Thea Sleight, Cassandra Williamson, Jason Ranaghan, and myself – have all had the opportunity to work directly with the collection, each contributing meaningful research while building skills as museum and gallery professionals. Now, the Buchanan Collection has been generously being loaned to the University for the next five years. During that time, we will showcase works in our two gallery spaces on campus – the Helen Christou Gallery (located on Level 9) and the Dr. Margaret “Marmie” Perkins Hess Gallery (located on Level 6) – while also continuing research on the collection.

Photos courtesy the Galt Museum & Archives | Akaisamitohkanao’pa.