Inuit Art

Cape Dorset, a small hamlet of about 1200 people in the high Arctic is one of Canada’s most successful and prolific art communities. Every year for the past 58 years the West Baffin Eskimo Co-operative has released to the public its collection of fine art limited edition prints. The annual unveiling of new stonecuts, etchings and lithographs is anticipated by serious collectors and avid enthusiasts all over the world. Another perennial event that many people eagerly look forward to is the launch of the Cape Dorset Inuit Art calendar which each year highlights 12 outstanding prints from previous years.

Calendars help mark the passage of time and the Cape Dorset prints reproduced in this year’s version subtly suggest through colour and light the changing of the seasons. The prints themselves have changed a lot throughout the years. New techniques have been advanced, young innovative artists have been discovered and different and sometimes daring themes and subjects have been introduced to reflect a certain period in time. Despite these changes, Cape Dorset prints have always maintained an unassuming intimacy. We can become easily attached to the image hanging on the wall when we’re changing the dates for birthdays or appointments or special occasions and after 30 days have passed it’s often with reluctance that we turn the page over to reveal a very different image for the following month. Chances are through that the next image will soon begin to captivate us as well. That is the timeless charm of Cape Dorset prints.