Ernest Lindner

Prior to moving to Canada in 1926, Ernest Lindner had been a manager, a bank clerk, a designer, and a member of the Imperial Austrian Army. After emigrating, Lindner settled in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and became a farm labourer and a freelance artist. In 1931, Lindner started teaching night classes at the Saskatoon Technical Institute, and by 1936, he was teaching fulltime at the Institute. Lindner started a series of informal meetings with local artists and students in 1935, called “Saturday Night.” From 1935-1950, Lindner worked to promote art education, and was key force behind the creation of the Saskatchewan Arts Centre. Lindner also presented a brief for the Massey Commission, which eventually lead to the founding of the Canada Council for the Arts and the National Library of Canada (today Library and Archives Canada). After his retirement from teaching, Lindner’s work flourished in the early 1960’s. At this time, he primarily painted works for his Regeneration of Nature series, which are large, detailed paintings of forest underbrush. Lindner became an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1979, and was elected as member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts in 1977. Linder was also honoured with the Saskatchewan Arts Board’s, Lifetime Award for Excellence in Art. Ernest Lindner passed away on November 4, 1988, at the age of 91. Today, Lindners’ works can be found in collections across the country including the Glenbow Museum in Calgary and the National Gallery of Canada.