Nuvisavik, “The Place Where We Weave”:
Inuit Tapestries from Arctic Canada
Hull (Quebec), February 21, 2002 - Beginning on February 22, 2002, the Canadian Museum of Civilization is proud to present Nuvisavik, “The Place Where We Weave”: Inuit Tapestries from Arctic Canada. This beautiful exhibition brings together 49 superb tapestries - most of which have never before been publicly displayed - from more than 15 artists and the 16 weavers who have transformed their drawings into tapestries.
Nuvisavik features works by artists living in Pangnirtung, Baffin Island, home to the only tapestry studio in the North. Since the 1970s, Inuit textile artists in this tiny community have created works celebrating the heroic lives of their ancestors.
“We are very proud to present this first-ever exhibition on the remakable art of Inuit weaving,” said the Museum’s President and CEO, Victor Rabinovitch. “This is a world premiere. The Canadian Museum of Civilization is a pioneer in presenting Inuit art, as it was in 1970 with the first major exhibition on Inuit art to tour outside the country.”
The short history of this unique art begins with the founding of a weaving studio in Pangnirtung. The studio was originally part of a federal government initiative that created arts and crafts studios in the new population centres of the Arctic, as a way of mitigating the traumatic effect of forced resettlement on the Inuit. After abandoning a semi-nomadic life, characterized by hunting, fishing and trapping, and moving to a permanent settlement, the women of Pangnirtung took up weaving as a new vocation. Already skilled at knitting and the sewing of furs, they were quick to master tapestry techniques.
Today, most of the Inuit on Baffin Island live in modern settlements. They remain deeply proud, however, of their forebears, who managed to succeed and thrive in one of the world’s most difficult environments. The tapestries are an expression of this pride. As one weaver has stated: “Some people might think these are just wall hangings but they are a part of us, our ancestors, our lives.”
Special programming will be offered in the exhibition during the opening weekend with the generous support of First Air. Nuvisavik, “The Place Where We Weave”: Inuit Tapestries from Arctic Canada will be presented in Special Exhibitions Gallery A at the Canadian Museum of Civilization until September 8, 2003.
FACT SHEETS
Media Information:
Media Relations Officer
Canadian Museum of Civilization
Tel.: (819) 776-7169
Senior Media Relations Officer
Canadian Museum of Civilization
Tel.: (819) 776-7167
Fax: (819) 776-7187
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