The Inuit Art Foundation and the Canada Council for the Arts are thrilled to announce the development of a new national Inuit-specific funding pilot initiative in the spirit of self-determination. The Council is supporting the IAF to work with Inuit communities throughout Inuit Nunangat and the South to co-develop a multidisciplinary granting pilot program that will launch this coming winter and distribute over $100,000 in its first year.
This partnership builds on both organizations’ mutual commitments to supporting Inuit artists in all aspects of their careers. The Canada Council for the Arts is Canada’s public arts funder, with a mandate to foster and promote the study and enjoyment of, and the production of works in, the arts. The Inuit Art Foundation seeks to empower Inuit artists’ self-expression and self-determination across disciplines, while increasing access to and awareness of artists’ work.
Grounded in Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit, this pilot program will be shaped by community feedback across Inuit Nunangat and Southern Canada to ensure it meets the needs of artists working today. To support Inuit leadership in all aspects of the arts, the pilot program will also offer capacity-building opportunities for Inuit as program officers and on assessment juries.
Access to Inuit-specific grants at this level will create opportunities for Inuit artists to be part of both private and public art opportunities. Without the necessity of frequent sales, an artist is free to explore art creation outside the confines of the commercial art market.
To learn more about the program and help shape its future, please sign up for the IAF’s newsletter below. Information will also be available to artists directly through the IAF’s Developing Qanuqtuurniq: Inuit Artist Portal, launching this fall.