Aqpik Arts Centre

Aqpik Arts Centre
Name	Aqpik Arts Centre
Established	1998
Location	Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada
Type	Multidisciplinary arts centre

Aqpik Arts Centre Aqpik Arts Centre is a multidisciplinary cultural institution in Iqaluit, Nunavut, focused on Inuit arts, contemporary visual arts, performance, and craft. The centre functions as a hub for artists, cultural organizations, collectors, curators, and educators from across Nunavut, Canada, Greenland, Alaska, and circumpolar regions. It collaborates with museums, galleries, universities, and funding agencies to present exhibitions, residencies, community programs, and research initiatives that connect local traditions with international audiences.

History

Founded in 1998 by a coalition of local artists, elders, and cultural advocates, the centre emerged amid dialogues involving the Government of Nunavut, the Government of Canada, and regional consensus bodies. Early partners included the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, Nunavut Arts and Crafts Association, and the Department of Culture and Heritage of Nunavut. Foundation supporters and advisors drew from networks linked to the National Gallery of Canada, Canadian Museum of History, Canadian Heritage, and the Canada Council for the Arts. Over the decades the centre hosted collaborations with curators from the Art Gallery of Ontario, Musée de la civilisation, British Museum, Smithsonian Institution, Royal Ontario Museum, and the National Museum of Denmark, while engaging researchers from McGill University, University of Toronto, University of British Columbia, McMaster University, and Memorial University. Notable visiting artists and scholars included participants connected with the Venice Biennale, documenta, Nordic Council, Arctic Council cultural programs, and Indigenous art biennials.

Building and Facilities

The facility occupies a purpose-adapted building in Iqaluit with gallery spaces, studios, a performance hall, and conservation areas developed in consultation with architects and engineers who previously worked on projects for the Canadian Museum of Nature, Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal, and the Vancouver Art Gallery. Technical infrastructure meets standards advocated by the Canadian Conservation Institute and the International Council of Museums. The centre includes climate-controlled storage influenced by specifications used by the Smithsonian Institution, National Gallery of Canada, and Royal Ontario Museum, as well as digital labs modeled on practices at the Tate Modern, Centre Pompidou, and Getty Research Institute. Onsite amenities support workshops in carving, printmaking, textile, and multimedia informed by protocols from the British Museum, National Portrait Gallery, and Museum of Anthropology at UBC.

Programs and Exhibitions

Programming spans rotating exhibitions, artist residencies, touring shows, and curatorial exchanges developed with partners such as the National Gallery of Canada, Art Gallery of Ontario, Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal, Kunstmuseum Basel, Moderna Museet, and the State Hermitage Museum. The centre staged projects with curators and artists affiliated with Documenta, Venice Biennale, Sydney Biennale, São Paulo Biennial, and Whitney Biennial participants, and worked alongside organizations like Native American Rights Fund, Inuit Circumpolar Council, and Nunavut Sivuniksavut. Educational exhibitions have referenced collections and scholarship from curatorial teams at the British Museum, Canadian Museum of History, Royal Ontario Museum, and Musée du quai Branly. Performance programs have involved collaborators tied to the Stratford Festival, National Arts Centre, Canada Council for the Arts Touring Office, and Circumpolar Song and Dance initiatives.

Community Engagement and Education

Community classes, youth apprenticeships, elder mentorships, and school partnerships integrate curricula developed with Nunavut Arctic College, Qikiqtani School Operations, Department of Education of Nunavut, and cultural programs supported by Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami. Outreach projects included cooperative ventures with Parks Canada heritage programming, ArcticNet research teams, Polar Knowledge Canada, and academic units at the University of Victoria and University of Alberta focused on Indigenous studies. Public events frequently feature speakers and facilitators connected to the Assembly of First Nations, Métis National Council, Truth and Reconciliation Commission–related initiatives, Royal Canadian Geographical Society lectures, and UNESCO heritage frameworks.

Collections and Notable Works

The centre’s collection emphasizes contemporary Inuit sculpture, printmaking, textiles, throat singing recordings, and multimedia works, with acquisitions and loans coordinated with the Canadian Museum of History, National Gallery of Canada, Royal Ontario Museum, and Nunatta Sunakkutaangit Museum. Notable works include pieces by artists represented alongside names historically associated with the Winnipeg Art Gallery, Alexander Robertson, Kenojuak Ashevak, Pitseolak Ashoona, and contemporary practitioners whose work circulates through galleries like the Art Gallery of Ontario, Musée d’art contemporain, and international institutions such as the British Museum and National Museum of Denmark. The archive holds oral histories and video recordings catalogued using standards influenced by Library and Archives Canada, Smithsonian Folklife, and Arctic Studies Center protocols. Loans have supported exhibitions at the Art Gallery of Alberta, Winnipeg Art Gallery, MacKenzie Art Gallery, and international venues including the Museum of Anthropology at UBC and the British Museum.

Governance and Funding

Governance is administered by a board drawing trustees from Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, municipal representatives from Iqaluit, and allied cultural organizations such as the Nunavut Arts and Crafts Association and Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business affiliates. Funding sources include operating grants and project support from the Canada Council for the Arts, Canadian Heritage, Government of Nunavut Department of Economic Development and Transportation, Indigenous Services Canada, ArcticNet partnership grants, private foundations such as the J.W. McConnell Family Foundation and the Carnegie Corporation, and philanthropic donations mediated through networks connected to the Walter and Duncan Gordon Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, and local corporate sponsors. The centre maintains memoranda of understanding with institutions including the National Gallery of Canada, Smithsonian Institution, and University of Toronto for curatorial exchange, research fellowships, and conservation training.

Category:Museums in Nunavut Category:Inuit art