Karoo Ashevak, COMPOSITION, Spence Bay, ca. 1971, stone & whalebone, 14 x 9 x 4 in.

Harry and Marcia Klamer began collecting Inuit art in 1961. Over thirty years they acquired one of the largest and most admired collections in the world. It is a rich and varied treasure created by several generations of great Inuit artists and assembled through the enthusiasm and love of these two remarkable collectors.

In 1978 the Klamers gave part of their fine collection to the Art Gallery of Ontario, so that it might be seen and enjoyed by all who share a love of Inuit art. When assembling works for their gift, Harry Klamer reflected that, “we experienced at once the joy and excitement of seeing old friends – that thrill of discovery which is always there when we look at favorite objects”.[1]

This year, the family decided to release more “old friends” from the collection of Marcia and the late Harry Klamer, providing today’s collectors with a rare opportunity to acquire these masterworks for themselves. The exhibition features superb examples of sculpture from the last half century, many of which have never been shown to the public.

The twenty-four sculptures illustrated here are part of the more than one hundred works from across the Arctic which comprise this exhibition of OLD FRIENDS. From small ivory and whalebone sculptures created by anonymous sculptors, to masterworks by the most famous of contemporary Inuit artists, these works are evidence of the superb eye of two great collectors.

The privilege of presenting this exhibition is for Feheley Fine Arts the culmination of 35 years of encouraging the appreciation of excellence in Inuit art. We thank the Klamer family for their warm generosity and kind assistance in the organization of this exhibition.

A second exhibition of equally superb selection of Inuit graphics from the Klamer Collection is planned for the near future.