Kinngait Studios in Nunavut has been at the forefront of contemporary Inuit art for more than 60 years. We talked to William Huffman of the West Baffin Eskimo Cooperative about what makes it so successful.

Five successive generations of acclaimed Inuit artists have brought their work to life at Kinngait Studios, in Kinngait, Nunavut, some 2,292 kilometres north of Toronto. Among them is Shuvinai Ashoona, a third-generation Inuk artist based in Kinngait. A major force in the emergence of its contemporary drawing practice, Ashoona works daily at Kinngait Studios. In her recent works, now on view in the AGO exhibition Shuvinai Ashoona: Beyond the Visible, she merges ink, graphite and colour pencil to create large-scale works in both vertical and horizontal formats. Measuring an astonishing 268 centimetres wide, the recent acquisition Curiosity (2020) gives viewers a fanciful bird’s-eye-view of her hometown, including buildings and roads, a portrait of an Inuk family, a walrus, several seals and the curious tentacles of seven giant pastel monsters. 

To better understand Ashoona’s work and the prodigious legacy of the studios, AGOinsider caught up with William Huffman of the West Baffin Eskimo Co-operative.

AGOinsider: Kinngait Studio is operated by the West Baffin Eskimo Co-operative. Why has the co-operative model been so successful?

Huffman: For the last 60-ish years, the co-operative has been at the centre of artmaking in Kinngait, providing space and means to hundreds of artists over its lifetime. That itself is an extraordinary and expensive thing! When you account for the fact that the place is predominantly fly-in, and all the equipment and supplies used by the artists are flown in, every piece of paper, or pencil, all of it must come from the South. It’s the community ownership of the West Baffin Eskimo Co-operative that has fostered success. It’s governed by an all-Inuit Board of Directors, and practically all Kinngait adults are in fact shareholders, which means that at the end of each year, profits are distributed back to the community in the form of annual dividends. And in addition to the operation of the studios, the organization also maintains a local retail grocery and hardware store, a restaurant, a few rental properties and manages various utility contracts. It’s a really sophisticated business model and an unique social enterprise, and something in which the community, particularly our member artists, have a deep sense of pride and respect. It’s truly their organization. The recipe for success has been the community’s sustained involvement in decision-making, its clear vision and generally progressive leadership. 

This blog post is an excerpt from a larger, more detailed story in AGOinsider. Read the full story, here.

How do you preserve art made from rotting fruits and vegetables? Sjoukje van der Laan, AGO Assistant Conservator, Contemporary Art, and Interpretive Planner Nadia Abraham answered this question with Ron Benner’s installation Anthro-Apologies (And the trees grew inwards – for Manuel Scorza)(1979–80) in a recent Close Looking talk.

Acquired by the AGO in 1994, Anthro-Apologies is a large installation. It features gelatin silver photographs, presumably of a farmer’s hands: two placed against the wall and two on the ground. Piles of fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts, spices and other  remnants Benner gathered in Peru sit atop the lower two photographs.

First exhibited in the late 1970s and again in 1995, this work was last on view at the AGO in 2017 for Toronto: Tributes + Tributaries, 1971–1989, the group exhibition curated by AGO Curator, Indigenous Art, Wanda Nanibush. While the exhibition was open, Nanibush described  the ephemeral qualities of Anthro-Apologies as echoing ideas surrounding preservation in art that were circulating during the 1970s and ’80s.

The fruits and vegetables in Anthro-Apologies are very much real. They decompose, decay, grow mold and even attract fruit flies. This presents a unique challenge in its conservation and further amplifies the concept of the work. For van der Laan, her routine considerations for proper conservation are heightened because of food’s perishable nature. “Our focus is to preserve and conserve the work’s original concept and present it in the most original way to the public,” she explained. “When we installed the work in 2016, we were lucky Ron was able to come in for the installation. We took that opportunity to have an in-depth conversation with him about how he sees the artwork and his wishes for the future.” The AGO Conservation team aims to slow down, not stop, the process of deterioration. Each time the work is being prepared for exhibition, the conservators will evaluate what can be displayed as is, what needs to be replaced and what can be discarded.

Watch the full Close Looking virtual conversation between Abraham and van der Laan here.

Hello Everyone,

We made it! The AGO is open again for our public and I couldn’t be more proud. It has been wonderful to see so many familiar faces this week that I have not seen for eight months. We are off to a great start with strong interest and attendance and a very safe and welcoming environment.

Following a terrific opening day on Wednesday, I am ending my week on a very high note. Today, all of Leadership Team is gathering together for an off-site retreat – the first time we have all been together for more than a year and a half. I am incredibly grateful to LT for everyone’s commitment and hard work. LT has met literally every day throughout the pandemic and often multiple times a day. It is great to have the opportunity to say “thank you” in person. I couldn’t do my job without them – and you.

Take care and stay safe,

Stephan

Black through bronze

Internationally acclaimed contemporary artist Thomas J. Price makes his AGO debut with a towering public sculpture that centres the Black experience

Last summer’s global uprisings for Black lives sparked a wave of public awareness and inspired widespread calls for social change. Since then, protests resulting in toppled colonial statues have been commonplace in the headlines. While removing these symbols of racism is a step in the right direction, the real question on the horizon is: what should be erected in their wake? Through his important public practice, leading contemporary artist Thomas J. Price is answering this question. This week on the corner of Dundas and McCaul Streets, in collaboration with ArtworxTO, the AGO is proudly revealing Within the Folds (Dialogue 1) – an original nine-foot bronze cast sculpture made by Price.   

Read more in AGOinsider (linked here)

Serene emptiness

Explore the AGO’s recently acquired serigraph series The House on Piccadilly Street in our upcoming exhibition

How do the feelings of comfort and claustrophobia come together in a piece of art? This complex combination is explored in the upcoming focused exhibition, Kim Ondaatje: The House on Piccadilly Street, opening July 24 at the AGO.

The scenes depicted in The House on Piccadilly Street were inspired by Ondaatje’s Victorian home in London, Ontario. Though the screenprinting series was made between 1967 and 1969, the vacant rooms devoid of people may feel familiar to us today. As we’re spending more time indoors during periods of social distancing and self-isolation due to the pandemic, the emptiness depicted by Ondaatje reflects the emotions of the new normal felt by many people, like a sense of time is slowly lost.

Read more in AGOinsider, linked here.

Dear Volunteers – I’m sorry to share the sad news that long time volunteer, Ruth Mallett, has passed away. Most recently, Ruth was a member of our information guide team – but she had been a Gallery volunteer for over 28 years. If you know Ruth, you know she loved patterns (and sewing) and her love of fashion was celebrated in the colourful oufits she wore weekly. No one was better accessorized than Ruth!

Ruth enjoyed sharing her scrapbooks of AGO activities over the years, leaving them out for many to view in the volunteer lounge (including her beloved community outings with the AGO-on-the-Go volunteers). We will miss Ruth, greatly and share news of services, below:

MALLETT, RUTH NORENE 1938 – 2021 It’s with great sadness that the family of Ruth Norene Mallett announces her passing, on Sunday, June 27, 2021, at the golden age of 83. Ruth will be fondly remembered by her loving family members and friends, and the cherished memories of Ruth will be greater than the sorrow and pain felt today. Ruth was well-known for her great sense of creativity, her charitable spirit of giving, quick wit, love of cooking and spending time with extended love ones, and so much more. She will be deeply missed by her many sisters, brothers, nieces, nephews, cousins, friends and neighbours. Visitation and funeral service will be held to honour Ruth at Ogden Funeral Home, 4164 Sheppard Ave. E., on Friday, July 23rd from 6-8 p.m. and Saturday, July 24th at 1:00 p.m. for immediate family and invited guests. Family and friends may send condolences to www.ogdenfuneralhome.com

https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/thestar/obituary.aspx?n=ruth-norene-mallett&pid=199513085

I’m delighted to announce that Jessica Bright has accepted the position of Chief, Exhibitions, Collections & Conservation, effective August 3, 2021. Jessica is an inspired and strategic leader whose 22 years of experience at the AGO position her well for this role.

Jessica has had an impressive trajectory at the AGO, and stepped into the Chief of Exhibitions and Collections role in 2018/2019 on an interim basis when Christy Thompson was on parental leave. Most recently she has contributed significantly to several important portfolios in her Leadership Team role of Senior Director, Strategic Initiatives. Working closely with LT and all of us in the Director’s Office, she has advanced our Diversity & Inclusion and Exhibition & Program strategies, and successfully onboarded several new AGO leaders. Jessica has also played an integral role on all the task forces we struck to manage the pandemic.

Joining the AGO in 1999 to run our summer Art Camp, Jessica has held various roles in the Director’s Office, Curatorial and Exhibitions, including as a Project Manager and Director of Exhibitions. Her negotiation skills, keen sense of strategic possibilities, excellent logistical management and friendly approach have resulted in some big wins for the AGO including David Bowie Is, Mystical Landscapes, King Tut and General Idea to name a few. In 2018 Jessica attended the Getty Leadership Institute, an esteemed leadership program for top museum leaders. One of her greatest strengths is building relationships and networks with museum leaders and lenders around the world, which will serve her well as she advances our operational driver of leading global conversations through extraordinary collections, exhibitions and programs.

Christy Thompson leaves the AGO for her new role at MoMA in September, but she will be taking time off in August so her last day in the office will be July 30. I want to once again thank Christy for all of her excellent work – she will be missed.

Please join me in congratulating Jessica on this well-deserved appointment, and wishing her well in her new role.

Sincerely,

Stephan

Hi everyone,

I am sharing a quick message today in Stephan’s absence – he is taking vacation days on Fridays during the month of July.

Some of you might have heard the province’s announcement today (Friday July 9) about moving forward with Stage 3 re-opening on July 16, a little ahead of schedule than previously communicated. This is amazing news. With vaccination rates going up, COVID-19 cases are coming down dramatically and some restrictions are loosening.

Please note – here at the AGO, we are sticking with our re-opening date of July 21^st. Everyone has been doing incredible work preparing for a successful re-opening and we’ll stick with our plan. So far, ticket sales are strong and there is a lot of excitement from our public about coming back to the AGO.

Any capacity changes or other key details coming out of today’s announcement will be considered and further updates will be provided.

I hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable weekend.

Thank you,

Erin

—

Erin Prendergast (she, her)

Chief, Strategic Initiatives

Hello Volunteers,

An update about volunteer visits!

For volunteers who are not members (i.e. for volunteers who do not have an access pass or a gallery membership) – the Gallery will be sharing a communication that outlines how volunteers can book tickets, the week of July 26 (following members’ previews for Warhol).

This message will outline how to book special exhibition (Warhol) tickets, as well as tickets to visit the permanent collection galleries. For now, our hardworking Visitor Experience team needs to focus their energies on booking members’ preview tickets (they’re busier than ever!), with this new lens of covid. Let’s cheer them on!

Thank you for your continued patience and support!

Holly (Volunteer Resources)

The Gallery is pleased to be recruiting for a volunteer representative to serve on the AGO Board of Trustees, beginning this Fall. This position is open to current AGO volunteers, with two or more years of service.

Volunteers can read more about this opportunity and find the application at this link: https://ago.ca/ago-board-trustees-ex-officio-volunteer-representative

Please note the deadline for application is August 11, 2021.