Museum of Inuit Art
Encyclopedia
The Museum of Inuit Art, located within the historic Queens Quay Terminal at Toronto
’s Harbourfront Centre, is Canada
’s only public museum south of the Arctic
to be devoted exclusively to Inuit art
and culture. Officially launched in June 2007, the museum exists due to the efforts of David Harris — a former teacher in Nunavut
and founder of The Harris Inuit Gallery, a respected commercial gallery for Inuit art — and a group of dedicated partners.
The Museum of Inuit Art occupies more than 6000 square feet (557.4 m²) of exhibition space and is home to hundreds of extraordinary pieces of Inuit art ranging from sculptures carved from stone, antler, ivory and bone to ceramics, prints and wall hangings.
The space housing the Museum of Inuit Art was designed by gh3 inc. and has won two design awards: the Ontario Association of Architects Design Excellence Award, and the Canada Interiors’ Best of Canada Design Competition Award. “The interior of the museum has been designed to remove visitors from the commercial clutter of the adjacent downtown shopping arcade and transport them to a more rarefied environment for viewing art — a neutral white shell evoking the iconic landscape forms of the arctic ice.”
The sculptures, wall hangings, and original fine art prints on sale at MIA Gallery and Graphics Gallery are acquired from the various Inuit co-operatives that represent Inuit artists working in the North. As such, all proceeds from the sale of art at the gallery directly support the work of contemporary Inuit artists and their communities. The shop also carries jewellery, packing dolls, and books on Inuit art.
. Previous exhibitions are listed here:
A New Legacy: Stitching Myths and Memories, 2007: Exuberant wall hangings from Baker Lake
.
The Urge to Abstraction: The Graphic Art of Janet Kigusiuq, 2008: Janet Kigusiuq’s evolution of artistic vision, from figures to explorations of form and pattern: abstract landscapes and still-life collages.
New Directions in Cape Dorset Drawing, November 2008 - April 2009: Contemporary Cape Dorset experimental drawings by a new generation of artists.
The Art of Inuit Wall Hangings, November 2008 - September 2009: Wall hangings from three communities: Baker Lake
and Arviat appliqué and embroidered hangings; Pangnirtung woven tapestries.
Inuit Prints and Drawings: A Community Survey, November 2008 - May 2009: Graphic art from five communities: Cape Dorset, Puvirnituq, Baker Lake
, Ulukhaktok, and Pangnirtung.
Combs of Our Ancestors: the creation of a new Pangnirtung tapestry designed by Germaine Arnaktauyok, April - June 2009: A large tapestry, the original drawing design and a working wall depicting the entire creative process from early designs, through weavers’ experiments, to the finished tapestry.
James Houston: Artist, Author, Inuit Art Pioneer, May - August 2009: James Houston
’s own prints and drawings, writings and books, and Inuit art created when Houston was in the Arctic in the 1950s.
The Inuit Sea Goddess, August 2009 - January 2010: Sedna
- a creation myth, a tale with many versions, a creature with many names, and a compelling subject for Inuit artists working in all media – sculpture, drawing, prints, ceramics and tapestry. This exhibition explores all these possibilities of the most powerful being in Inuit mythology.
Inuit Dolls from the Kivalliq, October - December 2009 (borrowed from Burnaby Art Gallery): Dolls created with great imagination in 2007 in all seven communities of the Kivalliq region: Arviat, Baker Lake
, Chesterfield Inlet
, Coral Harbour, Rankin Inlet, Repulse Bay
and Whale Cove
.
Inuit Dolls from the Esther Sarick Collection, October 2009 - April 2010: A wonderful collection of traditional and modern Inuit collector’s dolls from across the Canadian Arctic, in a wide variety of materials and regional clothing styles.
Big, Bold and Beautiful: Large-scale Drawings from Cape Dorset, January - April 2010: Six contemporary large-scale works by various artists in several media: oil stick, coloured pencil and ink, and watercolour.
Kananginak Pootoogook
: Celebrating Five Decades of Artistic Achievement, February - May 2010: Prints from each of the five decades of Kananginak’s career and a selection of recent drawings. Works depict the artist’s two chief interests: animals, and the social changes occurring in the Arctic.
, CHIN
, and Virtual Museum of Canada
.
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
’s Harbourfront Centre, is Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
’s only public museum south of the Arctic
Arctic
The Arctic is a region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost...
to be devoted exclusively to Inuit art
Inuit art
Inuit art refers to artwork produced by Inuit people, that is, the people of the Arctic previously known as Eskimos, a term that is now often considered offensive outside Alaska...
and culture. Officially launched in June 2007, the museum exists due to the efforts of David Harris — a former teacher in Nunavut
Nunavut
Nunavut is the largest and newest federal territory of Canada; it was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the Nunavut Act and the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act, though the actual boundaries had been established in 1993...
and founder of The Harris Inuit Gallery, a respected commercial gallery for Inuit art — and a group of dedicated partners.
The Museum of Inuit Art occupies more than 6000 square feet (557.4 m²) of exhibition space and is home to hundreds of extraordinary pieces of Inuit art ranging from sculptures carved from stone, antler, ivory and bone to ceramics, prints and wall hangings.
The space housing the Museum of Inuit Art was designed by gh3 inc. and has won two design awards: the Ontario Association of Architects Design Excellence Award, and the Canada Interiors’ Best of Canada Design Competition Award. “The interior of the museum has been designed to remove visitors from the commercial clutter of the adjacent downtown shopping arcade and transport them to a more rarefied environment for viewing art — a neutral white shell evoking the iconic landscape forms of the arctic ice.”
The Museum of Inuit Art Gallery, MIA Graphics Gallery and Museum Shop
The Museum of Inuit Art owns and operates a 1800 sq ft (167.2 m²). gallery featuring collector quality, original works of art created by contemporary Inuit artists. As a non-profit institution, all proceeds from the Museum of Inuit Art and the Museum of Inuit Art Gallery support cultural, educational and acquisition programs at the museum.The sculptures, wall hangings, and original fine art prints on sale at MIA Gallery and Graphics Gallery are acquired from the various Inuit co-operatives that represent Inuit artists working in the North. As such, all proceeds from the sale of art at the gallery directly support the work of contemporary Inuit artists and their communities. The shop also carries jewellery, packing dolls, and books on Inuit art.
Previous Exhibitions
The Museum of Inuit Art's previous exhibitions are varied. From wall hangings and prints to legends and history, each has presented a unique, and important, aspect of Inuit ArtInuit art
Inuit art refers to artwork produced by Inuit people, that is, the people of the Arctic previously known as Eskimos, a term that is now often considered offensive outside Alaska...
. Previous exhibitions are listed here:
A New Legacy: Stitching Myths and Memories, 2007: Exuberant wall hangings from Baker Lake
Baker Lake
Baker Lake is a lake in Kivalliq Region, Nunavut, Canada. It is fed by the Thelon River from the west and the Kazan River from the south. Its outflows into Chesterfield Inlet. The lake is approximately in size...
.
The Urge to Abstraction: The Graphic Art of Janet Kigusiuq, 2008: Janet Kigusiuq’s evolution of artistic vision, from figures to explorations of form and pattern: abstract landscapes and still-life collages.
New Directions in Cape Dorset Drawing, November 2008 - April 2009: Contemporary Cape Dorset experimental drawings by a new generation of artists.
The Art of Inuit Wall Hangings, November 2008 - September 2009: Wall hangings from three communities: Baker Lake
Baker Lake
Baker Lake is a lake in Kivalliq Region, Nunavut, Canada. It is fed by the Thelon River from the west and the Kazan River from the south. Its outflows into Chesterfield Inlet. The lake is approximately in size...
and Arviat appliqué and embroidered hangings; Pangnirtung woven tapestries.
Inuit Prints and Drawings: A Community Survey, November 2008 - May 2009: Graphic art from five communities: Cape Dorset, Puvirnituq, Baker Lake
Baker Lake
Baker Lake is a lake in Kivalliq Region, Nunavut, Canada. It is fed by the Thelon River from the west and the Kazan River from the south. Its outflows into Chesterfield Inlet. The lake is approximately in size...
, Ulukhaktok, and Pangnirtung.
Combs of Our Ancestors: the creation of a new Pangnirtung tapestry designed by Germaine Arnaktauyok, April - June 2009: A large tapestry, the original drawing design and a working wall depicting the entire creative process from early designs, through weavers’ experiments, to the finished tapestry.
James Houston: Artist, Author, Inuit Art Pioneer, May - August 2009: James Houston
James Houston
James Archibald Houston, OC, FRSA was a Canadian artist, designer, children's author and film-maker who played an important role in the recognition of Inuit art and introduced printmaking to the Inuit...
’s own prints and drawings, writings and books, and Inuit art created when Houston was in the Arctic in the 1950s.
The Inuit Sea Goddess, August 2009 - January 2010: Sedna
Sedna (mythology)
In Inuit mythology, Sedna is the goddess of the sea and marine animals such as seals. A creation myth, the story of Sedna shows how she came to rule over Adlivun, the Inuit underworld...
- a creation myth, a tale with many versions, a creature with many names, and a compelling subject for Inuit artists working in all media – sculpture, drawing, prints, ceramics and tapestry. This exhibition explores all these possibilities of the most powerful being in Inuit mythology.
Inuit Dolls from the Kivalliq, October - December 2009 (borrowed from Burnaby Art Gallery): Dolls created with great imagination in 2007 in all seven communities of the Kivalliq region: Arviat, Baker Lake
Baker Lake
Baker Lake is a lake in Kivalliq Region, Nunavut, Canada. It is fed by the Thelon River from the west and the Kazan River from the south. Its outflows into Chesterfield Inlet. The lake is approximately in size...
, Chesterfield Inlet
Chesterfield Inlet
Chesterfield Inlet is an inlet in Kivalliq Region, Nunavut, Canada. It is an arm of northwestern Hudson Bay, and the end point of the Thelon River after its passage through Baker Lake. Cross Bay, a large widening of the inlet, occurs east of Baker Lake...
, Coral Harbour, Rankin Inlet, Repulse Bay
Repulse Bay
Repulse Bay is a bay in the southern part of Hong Kong Island, located in the Southern District, Hong Kong.-Geography:Repulse Bay is located in the south of Hong Kong Island, to the east of Deep Water Bay and to the west of Middle Bay and South Bay...
and Whale Cove
Whale Cove
Whale Cove can refer to:*Whale Cove , south of Depoe Bay, Oregon*Whale Cove, Nunavut in Canada...
.
Inuit Dolls from the Esther Sarick Collection, October 2009 - April 2010: A wonderful collection of traditional and modern Inuit collector’s dolls from across the Canadian Arctic, in a wide variety of materials and regional clothing styles.
Big, Bold and Beautiful: Large-scale Drawings from Cape Dorset, January - April 2010: Six contemporary large-scale works by various artists in several media: oil stick, coloured pencil and ink, and watercolour.
Kananginak Pootoogook
Kananginak Pootoogook
Kananginak Pootoogook , was an Inuk sculptor and printmaker who lived in Cape Dorset, Nunavut. He died as a result of complications related to surgery for lung cancer.-Biography:...
: Celebrating Five Decades of Artistic Achievement, February - May 2010: Prints from each of the five decades of Kananginak’s career and a selection of recent drawings. Works depict the artist’s two chief interests: animals, and the social changes occurring in the Arctic.
Affiliations
The Museum is affiliated with: CMACanadian Museums Association
The Canadian Museums Association is a national organization for the promotion of museums in Canada.The Canadian Museums Association is the national organization for the advancement of the Canadian museum sector, representing Canadian museum professionals both within Canada and internationally. The...
, CHIN
Canadian Heritage Information Network
The Canadian Heritage Information Network is a Canadian government-supported organization that provides a networked interface to Canada's heritage, largely through the World Wide Web. It aims to give access to Canada's heritage for both Canadians and a worldwide audience, by supporting the...
, and Virtual Museum of Canada
Virtual Museum of Canada
The Virtual Museum of Canada is Canada's national virtual museum. With a directory of over 3,000 Canadian heritage institutions and a database of over 600 virtual exhibits, the VMC brings together Canada's museums regardless of size or geographical location.The VMC includes virtual exhibits,...
.