One artist represents each of territory’s three regions
Dayle Kubluitok from Iqaluit, left, and Aghalingiak Ohokannoak, right, from Cambridge Bay, are two of the three artists selected to be artists in residence at the Winnipeg Art Gallery — Qaumajug. Eva Qirniq Noah from Baker Lake, not pictured, is the third. The Government of Nunavut announced one artist from each of the territory’s regions was selected to be part of the gallery’s inaugural Nunavut Artist in Residency program. (Nunatsiaq News file photos)
Three Inuit artists have been chosen for the inaugural Nunavut Artist in Residence Program hosted at the Winnipeg Art Gallery – Qaumajuq, the Department of Culture and Heritage announced.
A committee made up of the Government of Nunavut, Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. and the Winnipeg Art Gallery – Qaumajuq selected one artist from each of the three regions in Nunavut.
The selected artists are Aghalingiak Ohokannoak from Cambridge Bay, Eva Qirniq Noah from Baker Lake, and Dayle Kubluitok from Iqaluit.
Ohokannoak is a bachelor of fine arts graduate who specializes in multimedia and digital art with a “recent focus on and research into Inuit traditional tattoo history and embodied practices,” according to the GN’s announcement Friday.
Qirniq-Noah is a textile artist whose work features in various museum collections and finds healing through art. Drawing inspiration from Inuit storytelling, she plans to explore “new mediums, including acrylic painting,” the release noted.
Kubluitok draws inspiration from their Inuit and Dene roots. Kubluitok is an illustrator and digital artist merging traditional narratives and contemporary pop culture, creating art that bridges the ancestral part with today’s digital age.
The Nunavut Artist in Residence Program allows Inuit artists to develop their art through experimentation without the pressure to present a finished body of work. It also provides the chance to engage with the community through weekly public events.
Qaumajuq is a new museum in Winnipeg, connected to the Winnipeg Art Gallery. It is home to the world’s largest public collection of contemporary Inuit art.
The artist in residence program will be a four-week post and the selected artists will receive a $10,000 artist fee, per diems, and accommodations within walking distance to the gallery. They will also have daily access to studio space at WAG – Qaumajuq and the gallery’s media arts equipment and facilities.
