HISTORIC INUIT ART EXHIBITION RECEIVES MAJOR FINANCIAL SUPPORT FROM CANCOM - Iqqaipaa: Celebrating Inuit Art, 1948–1970
Hull, Quebec, January 21, 1999 — The Canadian Museum of Civilization (CMC), in association with Cancom (Canadian Satellite Communications Inc.), announced today the CMC's feature presentation for 1999, a major Inuit art exhibition focusing on key early works by Inuit artists. Iqqaipaa: Celebrating Inuit Art, 1948–1970, in celebration of the new territory of Nunavut, is being presented with the generous financial support of Cancom.
The exhibition will open to the public on April 1, 1999, the day the territory of Nunavut officially enters Confederation, and will be on display until January 30, 2000. It draws on the CMC's extensive collection, including some well-known national icons donated by the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs (DIAND) and other remarkable art works never shown or published before.
The works include 120 sculptures in stone, whale bone, antler and ivory, ranging in size from miniature hand-carvings to large, imposing art works. In addition, thirty prints created in the communities of Baker Lake, Cape Dorset, Povungnituk and Holman Island will be showcased. In all more than a hundred artists, many well-known in the fine arts world, will be represented in this extraordinary exhibition.
At a time of such historical importance for the Inuit people, both the CMC and Cancom will encourage broadcasters and new media producers to take advantage of this exhibition to create and distribute programming that will allow Canadians in all parts of the country to join in the celebration of the Inuit art on display at the CMC.
Cancom President and CEO Duncan McEwan emphasized that the satellite communications company he leads is very proud to support an exhibition of such important historical and cultural proportions: "Cancom was created by a Northerner in 1981 to bring Canadian voices via satellite to the remotest reaches of our country. It is therefore fitting that we join the Canadian Museum of Civilization in presenting an exhibition that celebrates the culture of one of Canada's First Peoples — the Inuit, who have tamed a vast and difficult land in ways which serve as an inspiration to many people. We are excited about the opportunities to extend this inspiration to all Canadians through the various programming opportunities that could be associated with the exhibition."
James Houston, the internationally-renowned author, artist and historian who first brought Inuit art to the attention of the world, is acting as special advisor to the project and has loaned twenty pieces from his private collection. Houston lived with many of the artists for 12 years in the Arctic, mostly in Cape Dorset on Baffin Island. He is working closely with the exhibition curator, Maria von Finckenstein, Curator of Contemporary Inuit Art.
"What I love about this exhibition is that it not only shows the art, but also the people behind the art. There are artists' photos, shots of people in their pre-settlement environments and quotes by the artists throughout," said James Houston. "The title Iqqaipaa derives from the Inuktitut language and means `I remember', connecting with the exhibition's theme of exploring a culture in transition. By reflecting on the past, many of the interviewed artists have given us a moving portrayal of their lives during this significant period," Houston commented.
Between the years of 1948 and 1970, Inuit experienced a dramatic shift in lifestyle, moving from a nomadic and subsistence life of hunting and trapping and living in igloos, to living in matchbox houses and trying to earn a living in a new settlement. As a means of survival, many people transferred their skills as hunters and seamstresses to the art-making process and not only survived but flourished in the fine arts world.
Joe Geurts, Acting President and CEO of the Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation, underlined the importance of the art work in this exhibition. "As one of Canada's major collectors of Inuit art, we are extremely proud to be presenting such a magnificent selection of rare and significant pieces. We are especially pleased to be able to mark the creation of the new territory with an exhibition that so eloqently celebrates the unique culture of the Inuit," he said.
Highlights of this exhibition include: a small stone sculpture of a caribou by Nayoumealook from Inukjuak — the first piece Houston was given on his first trip to the North; a large appliqué wall hanging by famous textile artist Jessie Oonark from Baker Lake; an engraved narwhal tusk by Davidee Ittulu from Kimmirut (formerly Lake Harbour), decorated with scrimshaw; and a migration scene by Joe Talirulini from Povungnituk in which he tells a story from his youth.
Iqqaipaa: Celebrating Inuit Art, 1948 – 1970 is the central exhibition of the Museum's 1999 theme celebration of The Great Canadian North. Other exhibitions will be Inuit and Englishmen: The Nunavut Voyages of Martin Frobisher, which recounts the fascinating saga of Elizabethan-era explorers' quest for gold on Baffin Island and early contact between European and Inuit people, and Nunavut, Jewel of the Arctic, an exhibition of landscapes and portraits by the renowned and distinguished photographer Eugene Fisher that will showcase the striking beauty of Nunavut. An array of special programming, events and activities will complete the theme celebration.
Cancom is Canada's leading expert in evaluating, selecting, integrating and implementing satellite-based solutions for business. One of its four main lines of business is Cancom Broadcast Solutions, which delivers a wide range of digital TV signals and provides video distribution to a number of broadcasters across the continent. This division provides free uplink services to four Northern Native radio systems and provides the Yukon Whitehorse uplink of Television Northern Canada (TVNC), the world's first Native satellite television network.
FACT SHEET
Information (media):
Media Relations Officer: (819) 776-7169
Senior Media Relations Officer: (819) 776-7167
Fax: (819) 776-7187
|
|
