The Burnaby Art Gallery is taking a closer look at Canada’s North for its next exhibition.
Picturing Arctic Modernity – North Baffin Drawings from 1964 will be on display at the gallery from Nov. 16 to Jan. 13, 2019.
The travelling exhibition was developed in partnership by the Canadian Museum of History and the Agnes Etherington Art Centre at Queen’s University, with the assistance of the Pond Inlet Archives, and three Inuit heritage and cultural organizations, Ilisaqsivik, Ittaq and Piqqusilirivvik.
Through 50 original drawings, created in 1964 by Inuit men and women of North Baffin Island, the exhibition explores a transformative era for the people of Canada’s Eastern Arctic. The drawings offer first-person perspectives on daily life, history and memory at a time when Inuit communities were transitioning from traditional nomadic hunting camps to permanent settlements.
“We are honoured to bring this important exhibition to the Metro Vancouver community,” said Ellen van Eijnsbergen, director-curator at Burnaby Art Gallery, in a press release. “We hope that local audiences will take this unique opportunity to learn more about Inuit stories, through their own words and drawings.”
Mark O’Neill, president and CEO of the Canadian Museum of History, said the drawings are a “priceless record” of the sweeping changes that reshaped Inuit society on North Baffin Island in the 1960s.
“The people who created these illustrations understood that their way of life was changing dramatically and that it was important to preserve their knowledge and memories,” he said. “As a museum committed to preserving and promoting the history of Canada and its peoples, we are proud to share these uniquely important cultural treasures with the citizens of Burnaby.”
The entire exhibition – including text, videos, website and in-gallery booklet – is presented in Inuktitut, French and English. It features 42 video clips of the artists, their families and community members who provide their interpretations of the drawings.
The gallery will be hosting a number of special events throughout the exhibition, starting with an opening reception on Thursday, Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. (See below for details.)
Burnaby Art Gallery is at 6344 Deer Lake Ave. For more information, see www.burnabyartgallery.ca or call 604-297-4422.
PUBLIC PROGRAMS
Opening reception: Thursday, Nov. 15, 7 p.m. Free, all welcome. Opening remarks, followed by reception.
Lecture: Diversity, Inclusion and Source Communities in the Gallery: Friday, Nov. 23, 1 p.m. Free, all welcome. Contemporary Inuit art curator Norman Vorano will lead a discussion on bringing voices from diverse communities to the forefront in non-conventional learning environments.
Curator’s tour: Sunday, Nov. 25, 2 p.m. Free, all welcome. Join special guest, contemporary Inuit art curator Norman Vorano, on a walk through the exhibition.
In the BAG Family Sundays: Sunday, Nov. 18 and Sunday, Dec. 16, 1 to 4 p.m. Drop in with the family for family-friendly art projects inspired by the exhibition. The theme on Nov. 18 is Decorate Your Day; on Dec. 16, it’s Visual Journaling.
