Wednesday, November 6 to Friday November 8, 2024

Inuit Futures in Arts Leadership is an initiative that supports Inuit and Inuvialuit in their pursuit of higher education and professional development. Last week, they hosted a symposium on Inuit art titled “Qinnirajaattuq/Ripples: Making Waves in Inuit Art”. The event coincided with the opening of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts‘ new permanent gallery of Inuit art, an exhibition titled uummaqutik; essence of life, curated by the multitalented Nunavimmiuk curator, artist, and filmmaker asinnajaq. This three-day event included panel discussions, exhibition openings, curatorial talks, and performance.

The event was a unique and inspirational circumpolar gathering which highlighted all aspects of contemporary Inuit art and culture, including film, television, video, creative writing, fashion, visual art, performance, and curatorial practices.  All sessions were led by Inuit hailing from Canada, Alaska, Greenland, and Norway.

Over three days and twenty-one specialized panels, multiple emerging and established Inuit professionals shared their experiences in these myriad creative fields. A series of workshops ranged in subject matter from linocut printmaking to beading and tufting to art writing and criticism.

The impact of Inuit Futures in Arts Leadership: The Pilimmaksarniq/Pijariuqsarniqin was particularly evident in the fields of visual arts, writing, and curatorial practice. This initiative, begun by Heather Igloliorte with cultural partners, is funded through a SSHRC (Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council) grant. Since 2018, this grant has provided training and mentorship for post-secondary Inuit students in the arts and humanities. It has been enormously successful, as is evident by the number of artists, curators and writers who count among their alumni. All the participants were united by their mutual respect, extraordinary talent and pride in the Inuit heritage that binds them.