Canada's Inuit Art Centre to Open with Major Indigenous Art Collection
Canada is intensifying its commitment to Indigenous and Inuit art with the inauguration of the Inuit Art Centre in Winnipeg. This expansive 3,700-square-meter venue, developed by the Winnipeg Art Gallery (WAG) at a cost of $65 million, will feature a collection of 13,000 artworks. Established in 1937, the WAG will maintain its educational initiatives while the new center replaces its predecessor. Additionally, a biennial exhibition focusing on contemporary Indigenous art from Canada, New Zealand, and Australia is set to commence. Marc Mayer, who recently left his position as director of the National Gallery of Canada, curated notable exhibitions, including "Canadian and Indigenous Art: From Time Immemorial to 1967." Furthermore, collectors Thomas Druyan and Alice Ladner contributed over 1,000 Indigenous pieces to the MacKenzie Art Gallery. Canada is also set to present the Isuma collective at the upcoming Venice Biennale.
Key facts
- Inuit Art Centre in Winnipeg will open with 13,000 pieces of Inuit art, costing $65 million.
- Winnipeg Art Gallery (founded 1937) will continue educational programs but new center replaces previous space.
- A biennial focusing on contemporary Indigenous art from Canada, New Zealand, and Australia will launch alongside the center.
- Marc Mayer stepped down after 10 years as director of the National Gallery of Canada.
- National Gallery of Canada held 2017 exhibition 'Canadian and Indigenous Art: From Time Immemorial to 1967' covering 5,000+ years.
- Thomas Druyan and Alice Ladner donated over 1,000 works to MacKenzie Art Gallery in Regina, Saskatchewan.
- Donated works are part of Kampelmacher Memorial Collection of Indigenous Art, including Mi'kmaw Nation and Inuit Nunangat artists.
- Isuma collective (Zacharias Kunuk and Norman Cohn) will represent Canada at next Venice Biennale.
- IsumaTV, launched in 2008, is the first website dedicated to Inuit art with 6,000+ films in 84 languages.
- Igloolik Isuma archive at National Gallery of Canada Library and Archives holds thousands of hours of footage and interviews.
Entities
Artists
- Marc Mayer
- Thomas Druyan
- Alice Ladner
- Anthony Kiendl
- Zacharias Kunuk
- Norman Cohn
- Jamie Isaac
- Julie Nagam
Institutions
- National Gallery of Canada
- MacKenzie Art Gallery
- Kampelmacher Memorial Collection of Indigenous Art
- Winnipeg Art Gallery
- Inuit Art Centre
- Isuma
- IsumaTV
- Igloolik Isuma
- National Gallery of Canada Library and Archives
- Venice Biennale
- Michael Maltzan Architecture
Locations
- Canada
- Ottawa
- Winnipeg
- Regina
- Saskatchewan
- Mi'kmaw Nation
- Inuit Nunangat
- New Zealand
- Australia
- Venice
- Manitoba