Ilisarniq Workshop: Careers in the Arts

Thursday, January 26, 2023
2:00 PM to 3:30 PM (EDT)

In Collaboration With:

Kick off the new year with inspiration and insights from an all-Inuit panel on building a career in the arts!

Join us on Thursday Jan. 26 at 2pm ET/11am PT for a discussion with Heather Campbell, IAF’s Strategic Initiatives Director, in conversation with photographer and arts administrator Barry Pottle, filmmaker and curator Jocelyn Piirainen, and animator and filmmaker Glenn Gear.

Defining a ‘career in the arts’ can look very different depending on one’s background, skills and interests. Take a peek into the daily life of leaders in the arts who have each walked a different path, and hear their incredible stories about how their passion for the arts led them to where they are today.

The panel will discuss key moments and specific resources that have supported them on their journey. Gain valuable advice about the many different opportunities that exist for Inuit in the arts. This includes opportunities for artists who are also interested in arts administration, as well as non-artists who are still passionate about the arts.

Bring your questions for the panel, we’ll leave ample time for Q&A

Want to Register?

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* available only for Inuit artists

Your workshop host(s)

Heather Campbell

Heather Campbell is originally from Rigolet, Nunatsiavut, NL and holda a BFA from Memorial University of Newfoundland. Campbell was Curatorial Assistant at the Inuit Art Centre, Ottawa, ON for a number of years, and was on the board of directors of Gallery 101 artist run centre as well as the board of the Artist Run Centres and Collectives of Ontario. Currently she is on contract as Curatorial Assistant in the Indigenous Art Department at the National Gallery of Canada. Campbell’s art has been in a number of group exhibitions, most recently the touring group exhibition "SakKijajuk: Inuit Fine Art and Craft from Nunatsiavut." Her work can be found in many collections including the Canadian Museum of History, Gatineau, QC, Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada in Ottawa, ON and Carleton University, Ottawa, ON.

Some of their work

7th Generation Inuit Community (2015)

Methylmercury (2017)

Nuliajuk in Mourning (2018)

Nliajuk and Icebergs (2019)

Jellyfish (2014)

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Barry Pottle

Barry Pottle is an Inuk artist originally from Labrador (Rigolet, Nunatsiavut) now living in Ottawa, Ontario. He has been interested in photography as a medium of artistic expression and as a way of exploring the world around him. Barry’s artwork has been featured in exhibitions in Canada and in the United States and his photos have been published in a variety of books and magazines and he has also contributed images to several community initiatives.

Some of their work

After the Melt (2008)

Qulliq (2012)

Yale Dorm (2015)

Silver Spoon II (2013)

Rock Port Ice (2023)

Landwash I (2022)

Idle No More (2011)

Hunter (2022)

Ungava (detail) (2021)

Still life (Inuit) (2009)

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Glenn Gear

Glenn Gear is a Montreal, QC-based animator, filmmaker and visual artist hailing from Corner Brook, Newfoundland. Gear finds inspiration by exploring his identity as an urban Inuk with ancestral ties to Nunatsiavut. Gear's work often explores his ancestral ties to Nunatsiavut, creating alternative forms of storytelling through animation, archives, collage, installation, painting, and sound. His work also navigates the complex relationships between people, animals, and land, imbuing these shared spaces with humour, mystery, and hope. His films have screened throughout Canada and around the world. When not making new artwork, Gear facilitates workshops in animation production for Indigenous youth.

Some of their work

The Elements (2022)

Symmetry Series: Composition #5 (2022)

Iluani/Silami (it’s full of stars) (detail) (2021)

Beach Heart (still) (2021)

Six-fold Animal Series: Tulugak (2022)

The Fifth Region (still) (2018)

Animals in Motion: Tuttuk (2022)

Kablunât (still) (2016)

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Jocelyn Piirainen

Jocelyn Piirainen is a curator, artist and filmmaker originally from Ikaluktutiak (Cambridge Bay), NU and currently based in Winnipeg, MB. Piirainen's educational background has focused on the arts, particularly film and new media, and her current artistic practice primarily involves analog photography. She has contributed to publications such as Canadian Art, Canadian Geographic and the Inuit Art Quarterly. Alongside, Piirainen has designed and developed various exhibitions, curatorial projects, screenings and arts festivals at numerous galleries and artist-run centres, including SAW Video Association in Ottawa, ON and the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto, ON, among others.

Some of their work

Rainbow set (2021)

Whalebone set (2022)

Quilliq photoshoot (2022)

Triangle studs (2022)

Untitled (long exposure photo) (2022)

Inuuhiraaluk (2022)

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