Identity area
Type of entity
Person
Authorized form of name
Madsen, Ken
Parallel form(s) of name
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
Other form(s) of name
Identifiers for corporate bodies
Description area
Dates of existence
1917-2004
History
Ken Madsen was born in Edmonton, Alberta. He received his Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Alberta and completed a graduate degree in business administration at the Northwestern University in Chicago. Ken served in the Second World War with the Royal Canadian Air Forces as a wing commander. In 1949, he began working with the University of Alberta Senate, Board of Governors, and Alumni Association. There, Ken worked closely with Senator Donald Cameron in the development of the Banff School of Fine Arts and in 1958 he became associate director.
Ken devoted twenty-two years of his career to the Banff Centre, serving as both associate director and manager of visual arts from 1958 to 1981. He played an instrumental part in attracting prominent artists to teach and study at the Centre. Ken’s other roles included registrar of the school of fine arts in the 1970s as well as secretary-treasurer and a member of the board of the Banff School of Advanced Management. During his tenure and into retirement, he maintained an active role at the Centre in his role of fundraiser. The pathway leading from the Banff Centre into town was dedicated to him for his contributions to the development of the Centre. Ken passed away on August 21, 2004 at the age of 88.