Qikiqtaaluk
(b. 1929)
(b. 1929)
Attagootak Innotik (1919-D) was a carver from Arctic Bay, Nunavut, who works with the grey and ochre-coloured argillite stone found in deposits locally. His figures are inspired by hunting scenes and the animals that inhabit the western Qikiqtaaluk region, including polar bears and narwhals. At times, his work also references Inuit oral history, particularly the sea spirit Taleelayuk. Innotik’s carvings have been exhibited in galleries across Canada. Thirty-three of his pieces are in the collection of the Winnipeg Art Gallery.
About
The qamutiik is a traditional sled that was often used for hunting and was essential to survival in the north. While sleds differed based on who made them and their intended use, the qamutiik was designed for carrying heavy loads through tough terrain. It is different from the toboggan which is ideal for deep snow.
About
In 1971, the monumental Jerry Twomey Collection of 4,000 Inuit carvings was acquired by the WAG. Twomey was a geneticist and a co-founder of Winnipeg’s T&T Seeds. Beginning in 1952 and throughout the 1950s and 1960s, he collected sculpture from virtually every art-producing Inuit community. He was fascinated by the distribution of artistic talent within families and across generations and collected the work of individual artists in depth.
In 1969, Twomey decided to retire from the seed business and move to California to breed roses full-time. The disposition of his collection became a matter for intense negotiation with a number of museums and collectors. George Swinton persuaded then Premier Edward Schreyer of the collection’s importance and in August 1971 Schreyer quickly signed an Order-in-Council to raise $185,000, or two-thirds of the funds required to purchase the collection for the WAG. In June 1972, James Richardson, then federal minister of supply and services, presented a cheque for the remaining $75,000 at a ceremony at the Gallery. To celebrate both the opening of the new Gallery building on Memorial Boulevard and the acquisition of the Twomey Collection, a small show was installed in 1972. In 2003, a comprehensive WAG exhibition and catalogue revealed the incomparable record of the development of Inuit art in the 1950s and 1960s provided by the Twomey Collection.
