MMFA Opens its New Space for Inuit Art
The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA) has officially opened its new exhibition space dedicated to Inuit art. The inaugural exhibition, ᐆᒻᒪᖁᑎᒃ uummaqutik: essence of life, is curated by visual artist, filmmaker and writer asinnajaq and highlights the rhythms of life across Inuit Nunangat. The exhibition features prints, drawings, photographs, paintings, sculptures and installation work from the MMFA’s permanent collection, reimagined through an Inuk curator’s perspective. Recently, asinnajaq was the film curator at the 2024 Whitney Biennial and her work was part of the exhibition femmes volcans forêts torrents at the Musée d’art contemporain in Montreal, QC, this past summer.
Royal Canadian Mint Unveils New Coin Celebrating Inuit Nunangat
On November 5, the Royal Canadian Mint launched a new coin that celebrates Inuit Nunangat and the traditions of Inuit in Canada. The coin, a toonie, was designed by four Inuit artists who represent the four regions of Inuit Nunangat—multidisciplinary artist Mary Okheena, from Ulukhaqtuuq, Inuvialuit Settlement Region, NT; Charlotte Karetak, from Arviat, NU; Thomassie Mangiok, from Ivujivik, Nunavik, QC; and Tegan Voisey, from Makkovik, Nunatsiavut, NL. The design on the coin includes the sea goddess, as a unifying symbol with a walrus, two belugas, a seal and an Arctic char. Along one side of the coin are four ulus, representing the four different regions. The coin also features patterns used in Inuit tattooing and on clothing.
ᕿᓐᓂᕋᔮᑦᑐᖅ Qinnirajaattuq / Ripples: Making Waves in Inuit Art Symposium
This week Inuit Futures in Arts Leadership wraps up its seven-year initiative with a closing conference, ᕿᓐᓂᕋᔮᑦᑐᖅ Qinnirajaattuq / Ripples: Making Waves in Inuit Art Symposium, held in Montreal, QC. The three-day event includes panel discussions, workshops and events hosted by the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA), Avataq Cultural Institute, La Guilde, Concordia University and FOFA Gallery. Many artists, curators, museum professionals, scholars and students have travelled to Montreal to participate in the event. This marks the first major gathering dedicated solely to Inuit visual arts since the 2011 Inuit Modern Symposium held in Toronto, ON. The symposium coincides with the opening of the MMFA’s new permanent Inuit art exhibition, ᐆᒻᒪᖁᑎᒃ uummaqutik: essence of life, which is curated by asinnajaq.
Library and Archives Canada Announces Funding to Support 14 First Nations, Inuit and Métis Documentary Heritage Projects
On October 31, Library and Archives Canada announced 14 First Nations, Inuit and Métis organizations that will receive funding for the 2024–2025 cycle of the Listen, Hear Our Voices initiative. Among the 14 recipients are the Inuvialuit Cultural Centre Pitquhiit-Pitqusiit and Inuit Broadcasting Corporation; they will receive funding to support digitization projects that aid in preserving language and culture. The Listen, Hear Our Voices program started in 2019 and has provided $7 million to 115 projects across Canada. “Providing access to a greater diversity of historical documents is one of the first steps toward healing and reconciliation,” says minister of Canadian heritage Pascale St-Onge.
New American Wing at Brooklyn Museum Includes Work by Janet Kigusiuq
Multidisciplinary artist Janet Kigusiuq’s (1926–2005) work Fishing in a Rock Dam (n.d.) is featured in the newly re-hung American wing at the Brooklyn Museum. In honour of its 200-year anniversary, the Brooklyn Museum has reinstalled and reoriented the eight galleries that make up the wing, showcasing 400 works that highlight “Black feminist and BIPOC perspectives.” Born in the Back River region, NU, and settled in Qamani’tuaq (Baker Lake), NU, Kigusiuq was the daughter of acclaimed artist Jessie Oonark, OC, RCA (1906–1985). Kigusiuq worked in a variety of mediums, including drawing, prints, textiles, wall hangings and collage. She often depicted figures in side profile with distinctive eyes, and animals. Her works are part of numerous institutional collections, including the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa, ON, the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, QC, and the Winnipeg Art Gallery-Qaumajuq in Manitoba.