Gallery chair Art Knight dies at 73

Art Knight, the chair of the board for the Mendel Art Gallery and a key figure in Saskatoon's plans for a new gallery space, has died. He was 73.

Knight had a long career in post-secondary education. He was appointed to the board of the Mendel in 2006 and assumed the chair position a year later.

The Mendel is in the process of building a new home, to be called the Art Gallery of Saskatchewan.

He died Tuesday of a heart attack.

"We're saddened that he's not going to be with us," Vincent Varga, the director of the gallery, told CBC News on Wednesday. " But we know he will be there watching as we open the [new] gallery and we'll be thinking about him."

Knight began his teaching career at the University of Saskatchewan in the 1960s. He held a number of senior positions at the university, including dean and vice-president.

He was also a top administrator at the province's college, SIAST.

Members of the Mendel board plan to meet Thursday.

Varga noted that Knight was a dedicated leader who had been working virtually full time for the gallery.

City council member and gallery board member Charlie Clark told CBC News he was surprised to learn of Knight's death. He remembers a board meeting on Friday where Knight was vibrant and active.

"He was really a gentle force in a lot of ways," Clark added. "He was so absolutely dedicated to the work he was doing for the Mendel and for the new Art Gallery of Saskatchewan, he put in hours and hours of his time every week to the cause. And I think he always wanted to work with people and he was always quite humble in the role, but he was also fiercely committed to what he was doing."

Funeral services are set for Saturday at 1 p.m. CST at Holy Spirit Church in Saskatoon.