Three Inuit Artists from Nunavut Selected for Winnipeg Art Gallery–Qaumajuq’s New Residency Program 

Three Inuit artists have been selected to participate in the inaugural Nunavut Artist in Residence Program at the Winnipeg Art Gallery-Qaumajuq (WAG-Qaumajuq) in Manitoba, which claims to be home to the world’s largest collection of Inuit art. The program is a collaboration between WAG-Qaumajuq, the Government of Nunavut’s Department of Culture and Heritage and Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. The participating artists come from all three regions of Nunavut: digital artist Aghalingiak from Iqaluktuuttiaq (Cambridge Bay), NU; textile artist Eva Qirniq Noah from Qamani’tuaq (Baker Lake), NU; and illustrator and digital artist Dayle Kubluitok from Iqaluit, NU. The four-week residency runs from January 19 to February 16. 

Circumpolar Indigenous Artists to Participate in the 2024 Whitney Biennial 

This year, three circumpolar Indigenous artists and one curator will be participating in the Whitney Biennial in New York City, NY.  Among the 71 contemporary artists featured: Siku Allooloo, an Inuk/Haitian/Taíno filmmaker, interdisciplinary artist and writer based in Bowser, BC; Jenni Laiti, a Sámi interdisciplinary artist living in Jåhkåmåhkke, Sápmi (Jokkmokk, Sweden); and Lada Suomenrinne, a Sámi visual artist based in Espoo, Finland, and Njuorggán, Sápmi (Nuorgam, Finland). Inuk visual artist, filmmaker and writer asinnajaq will guest curate the Biennial’s film program. Known as the longest running survey of American art, the Whitney Biennial has been held at the Whitney Museum since 1932. The theme this year revolves around ideas of what is considered to be real as artists explore concepts of identity and form, embodiment and historical and current land ownership. The exhibition opens to the public on March 20.

Forthcoming Children’s Book by Tanya Tagaq Features Illustrations by Cee Pootoogook

Inuk singer and writer Tanya Tagaq, CM, is releasing a new children’s book on August 20, 2024. It Bears Repeating is a counting picture book that combines English and Inuktitut words,  featuring illustrations by Inuk artist Cee Pootoogook from Kinngait, NU. Pootoogook is known for his intricate depictions of arctic wildlife in coloured pencil and ink, as well as his work as a stonecut printer at Kinngait Studios. This is Tagaq’s second book and first children’s book; her novel, Split Tooth (2018), won the Indigenous Voices Award in 2019 for best published prose in English and was long-listed for the 2018 Scotiabank Giller Prize. It was also nominated for the 2019 Amazon Canada First Novel Award. 

Shuvinai Ashoona Exhibition Opens at The Perimeter 

A solo exhibition of works by Inuk artist Shuvinai Ashoona, RCA, entitled When I Draw is now open at The Perimeter, a non-profit exhibition space for contemporary art in London, UK. Ashoona resides in Kinngait (Cape Dorset), NU, and is known for her drawings that creatively intermingle scenes of everyday life in her home community with elements of the fantastical. This marks Ashoona’s first exhibition of work in Europe since the 2022 Venice Biennale, where her drawings were awarded a prestigious Special Mention. Since opening its doors in 2018, The Perimeter has hosted a number of solo and group exhibitions featuring artists like Wolfgang Tillmans, Ron Nagle, Walter Price and many more. When I Draw is on view until April 26.

Taqralik Partridge Departs Art Gallery of Ontario’s Curatorial Department

Taqralik Partridge has left her position of Associate Curator of Indigenous Art — Inuit Art Focus at the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) in Toronto, which she began in November 2022. Partridge’s departure raises increasing concerns about the future of the AGO’s Department of Indigenous and Canadian Art, following the departure of Wanda Nanibush, the AGO’s inaugural curator of Indigenous Art, who left in November 2023. However, Partridge’s independent career as an artist and curator has been busy already in 2024: she opened her first solo exhibition at Onsite Gallery in Toronto, ON, and curated a show of work by Kinngait, NU, artist Tim Pitsiulak (1967–2016) at the Art Gallery of Guelph in January.