Inuit Art Foundation
1655 Dupont Street M6P 3S9 Toronto, ON, Canada

In the second instalment of our series Sculpting the Verse, we pair a Tegoodligak poem about the vitality of nature with the ceramic collaboration of Pierre Aupilardjuk and Leo Napayok. Read about this pairing at IAQ Online. Pierre Aupilardjuk and Leo Napayok Messages for the Afterlife (c. 2014) Courtesy Art Gallery of Burlington

This dream-like sculpture is by Throwback Artist Spotlight Jobie Arnaituq. Arnaituq is a sculptor, printmaker and musician from Kangirsujuaq, Nunavik, QC. He shows off his carving skills in this imaginative composition of antler and ivory. Look closely to find the dog team pulling the qamutik (sled) only to come across a polar bear! Hanging from this scene are four rings, containing delicately carved figures. What else do you see? Jobie Arnaituq A Fantasy (1976) Courtesy IAF

Singer, songwriter, filmmaker, activistis there anything she can’t do? Jolene Banning explores the many facets of Elisapie at IAQ Online. Elisapie performing at the Polaris Music Prize in 2019 Photo Dustin Rabin

Making waves is today’s Artist Spotlight Haley Edmunds-Shiwak. Hailing from Postville, Nunatsiavut, NL, Edmunds-Shiwak is an artist working across different mediums, from digital illustration to beadwork and clay sculpting. Her artwork, inspired by pop culture and Inuit legends, is sold as prints and on clothing online under the label Juniper and Ink by Haley. Find out more at her IAQ Profile: https://www.inuitartfoundation.org//a/Haley-Edmunds-Shiwak Haley Edmunds-Shiwak Legend of a Goddess v2 (2021) Courtesy the Artist

In this first piece from our series Sculpting the Verse, all about Inuit poetry and sculpture, we pair Martha Nasook’s lyrical joy upon seeing the stars that appear when spring is imminent with a Michael Massie sculpture depicting the night sky. See them both at IAQ Online. Michael Massie Creativity of the Spirit: Distant Relations (detail) (c. 2013) Courtesy Waddington's Auctioneers & Appraisers

Big congratulations to Trickster’s Anna Lambe, nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the Canadian Screen Awards for a second time! Lambe plays Sarah in the CBC drama based on Eden Robinson’s Son of a Trickster. Visit #IAQOnline to get the full story. https://www.inuitartfoundation.org//trickster-s-anna-lambe

In search of crafts to produce during long Labrador winters, today’s Artist Spotlight, Ashley Andersen, discovered her passion for sewing. Based out of Makkovik, Nunatsiavut, NL, Andersen typically works in sealskin, leather and moose hide to make parkas, mitts and these beautiful monochrome kamiit. Find out what material Andersen has been incorporating into her jewellery at her IAQ Profile: https://www.inuitartfoundation.org/i/artist/Ashley-Andersen Ashley Andersen Kamiit (2017) Courtesy the Artist

Congratulations to IAF board member Ryan Rice on being named the Indigenous Public Art Curator at Waterfront Toronto! Rice will assist with the commission of two significant, site-specific permanent public art opportunities for Indigenous artists in the West Don Lands, with installations targeted for 2023 and 2024. This new role is in addition to Rice’s many other responsibilities as an independent curator, Associate Dean at OCAD University and board member at the Inuit Art F...oundation. Well done Ryan! Courtesy Waterfront Toronto

To all Canadian Inuit currently enrolled in post-secondary school: apply today to get funding to help pay for your education! You could win a Watt Scholarship from the Inuit Art Foundation and Indspire! The scholarship provides $2,500 to Canadian Inuit enrolled in post-secondary studies with an interest in art, history and culture. Don’t wait! The deadline for Winter 2021applications is February 1st. Apply today!... Learn more: https://www.inuitartfoundation.org/artist-/watt-scholarship Apply Now: https://indspire.microsoftcrmportals.com/en-US/

Sixteen years ago today, the Labrador Inuit Land Claim Agreement was signed. To commemorate the occasion, we’re taking a moment today to celebrate again the major artistic output from the region with 10 Artists to Know, featuring early trailblazers like Gilbert Hay and emerging artists like Erica Jacque. Read on to learn about the variety of artists and art-making that Nunatsiavut has to offer.... Billy Gauthier Narwhal Hunt (n.d.) Courtesy Spirit Wrestler Gallery

How many figures do you see? This week for Throwback Thursday, we’re featuring George Arluk from Arviat, NU. Arluk, who was born in Winnipeg, MB, taught himself to carve at age nine. He is best known for his minimalist, semi-abstracted compositions, which often feature grouping of human forms emerging from carefully polished stone. George Arluk Two Figures (1976-1977) Courtesy IAF

The Winnipeg Art Gallery Qaumajuq unveiled a 10-tonne sculpture by Goota Ashoona today, after the artist spent nearly two years using modern technology and traditional carving techniques to chip away at a massive piece of stone, which was commissioned by The Manitoba Teachers' Society. Learn how Ashoona did it at IAQ Online.

You are critical to sustaining the Inuit Art Quarterly. And to creating opportunities for artists. If you are able, please consider a gift today. All donations are doubled right now! Luke Anguhadluq The Young and the Old (1977) Courtesy First Arts

By far one of the most unexpected pieces of news in 2020 was about a cache of Inuit prints by Kinngait (Cape Dorset), NU, artists like Kenojuak Ashevak that were found in an old house. It’s #4 on our list of your favourite stories from this year. Read all about it, or visit IAQ Online to check out the whole list: https://www.inuitartfoundation.org//11-of-your-favourite-s Kenojuak Ashevak Iqalutsiavak (Beautiful Fish) (2005) Reproduced With Permission Dorset Fine Arts The Artist

After months spent beating out her competitors to be there, Beatrice Deer Band performed as finalists in Les Talents Bleus on Noovo this week. Visit IAQ Online to see the full story.

Day 3 of your favourite stories from 2020 brings us to asinnajaq, who won the Sobey Art Award while (in an unlikely turn of events) grounded in New Zealand due to COVID flight restrictions. Check out asinnajaq’s story, or read on to discover all the stories you loved this year: https://www.inuitartfoundation.org//11-of-your-favourite-s

Do you think this qualifies as a trick or as a treat? This week’s Throwback Thursday artist Lipa Pitsiulak, of Panniqtuuq (Pangnirtung), NU, depicts a hunter disguised as a caribou to increase his chances of success. We’d like to borrow his costume! Lipa Pitsiulak Disguised Archer (1976) Courtesy IAF

How do bones feature in Inuit art? We’re looking beneath the flesh this year for National Skeleton Day with a closer look at 7 different ways skulls, bones and other innards have been a source of inspiration for artists across Inuit Nunangat. See all 7 at IAQ Online. Floyd Kuptana Untitled (2012) (detail) Courtesy the Artist

This week’s Throwback Thursday artist, Mabel Nigiyok, of Ulukhaktok (Holman), Inuvialuit Settlement Region, NT, presents an interesting perspective of the qulliq. Within the bowl of the lamp, a hunter listens near a seal hole while another awaits the seal’s emergence. The action is supported by the flame that, when carefully tended, will light the night and warm the home. Mabel Nigiyok The Stone Lamp (1991) Courtesy IAF

The building formerly known as the Inuit Art Centre got its new name today, as a group of Indigenous Knowledge keepers at @wag.ca announced it will be called Qaumajuq. Get the full story at IAQ Online.

FINAL 24 HOURS!! Ontario-based Indigenous artists, get your art materials paid for now! The Ontario Arts Council’s new grant, the Indigenous Visual Artist Materials grant, could award you up to $1000 to cover the costs of materials you use for your work. First Nations, Inuit and Métis artists are all eligible; to support Inuit in accessing this funding, the Inuit Art Foundation is acting as an official recommender on the grant.... Visit www.inuitartfoundation.org/ivam for more information. Robert Kuptana carving antler at Arts Alive 2005 (detail) Photo Barry Pottle

At an auction last week, a work by Kinngait (Cape Dorset), NU, sculptor Kiugak Ashoona more than doubled the artist’s previous record at public auction. Get the full story at IAQ Online. Kiugak Ashoona "Howling Spirit (Tornrak) and Its Young (1962) Reproduced with permission Dorset Fine Arts Courtesy Invaluable The Potomack Company

What’s on your playlist for World Opera Day? Why not the musical stylings of Inuk soprano Deantha Edmunds? In this interview with Profiles Editor Emily Henderson, Edmunds details her family connections to her musical practice, as well as fascinating insights into the music history of Labrador. Read the complete interview at IAQ Online.

Happy International Artist Day, a day to honor the contributions of artists to our society. Tell us who your favourite artist is in the comments below! Hannah Kigusiuq Inuttuit (1974) Courtesy IAF

Blush pink and deep sea green come together in this bold image of tunniit-covered hands creating a string figure. Today’s Artist Spotlight Hannah Tooktoo brings her saturated colour palette across a variety of mediums, from painting and drawing to beadwork and textiles. Hailing from Kuujjuaq, Nunavik, QC, Tooktoo’s work often features local flora, portraits and legends. She describes art as a form of therapy, reflecting stories of resilience and healing emotional wounds. Read more at her IAQ Profile: https://www.inuitartfoundation.org/iad/artist/Hannah-Tooktoo Hannah Tooktoo Playing String Games (2020) Courtesy the Artist

Proudly asserting one’s nameseven when they are difficult to pronounceis just one way Inuit artists have reclaimed and celebrated their identities. In the third installment of Atiq (Naming Your Soul), multidisciplinary artist Niap (Nancy Saunders) reflects on the importance of using her name through the poetry she spoke in a dream. Read her words at IAQ Online.

Calling all circumpolar artists, Nuuk Nordisk Kulturfestival is looking for submissions for the 2021 festival from now until November 6th, 2020. Nuuk Nordic focuses on Nordic cooperation, co-creation and civic participation through a festival featuring events, exhibitions, concerts and more. Apply today!

Sometimes less is more. This week’s Throwback Thursday artist, Josie Nowra of Inukjuak, Nunavik, QC, took a minimalist approach with this pair of bird sculptures. Emphasizing shape, form and line, the beaks of these birds are immediately recognizable. Josie Nowra Two Bird Heads (1950) Courtesy IAF

Are there any Ontario-based Inuit artists out there who would like to get their art materials paid for? The Ontario Arts Council - Conseil des arts de l'Ontario's Indigenous Visual Artist Materials grant could pay you up to $1000 to cover the costs of materials you use for your work! First Nations, Inuit and Métis artists are all eligible; to support Inuit in accessing this funding, the Inuit Art Foundation is acting as an official recommender on the grant.... Visit www.inuitartfoundation.org/ivam for more information. Robert Kuptana carving antler at Arts Alive 2005 (detail) Photo Barry Pottle

The Inuit Art Foundation is proud to sponsor a discussion on film production across the circumpolar North tomorrow (October 22nd) from 2:00-3:00 at imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival. Tune in to see filmmakers and advocates Anne Lajla Utsi, Aka Hansen and Liisa Holmberg discussing Indigenous language productions! Check it out at: https://festival.imaginenative.org//indigenous-language-p/ Or visit IAQ Online to see our festival coverage: https://www.inuitartfoundation.org//5-films-to-see-at-imag

Today’s Artist Spotlight is John Kurok, a ceramicist from Kangiqliniq (Rankin Inlet), NU. Kurok’s work often features intricately carved animals and human faces, such as this hunter wearing snow goggles to protect against snow blindness. These forms are often shown mid-movement, seamlessly covering the surface of his hand-coiled vessels. Kurok often collaborates with other artists to create his unusual ceramics. Find out who at his IAQ Profile: https://www.inuitartfoundation.org/iad/artist/John-Kurok John Kurok Thinking About Spring (2005) (detail) Courtesy Gardiner Museum

imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival 2020 is on now, and our editors have picked their 5 must-see films! Check out our top picks at IAQ Online.