West Baffin Eskimo Cooperative

West Baffin Eskimo Cooperative
Name	West Baffin Eskimo Cooperative
Type	Cooperative
Founded	1959
Founders	James Houston; Terry Ryan
Headquarters	Cape Dorset, Nunavut
Key people	Kananginak Pootoogook; Osuitok Ipeelee
Industry	Printmaking; Sculpture; Art retail
Products	Prints; Stone sculpture

West Baffin Eskimo Cooperative is a community-based art cooperative founded in 1959 in Cape Dorset, Nunavut, known for promoting Inuit printmaking and sculpture. It operates a print studio, gallery, and craft sales outlet that have linked local artists to national and international markets such as the National Gallery of Canada, the British Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Smithsonian Institution and private collectors. Over decades it has interacted with figures and institutions including James Houston, Kathleen MacInnis, Osuitok Ipeelee, Kananginak Pootoogook, and exhibitions at venues like the Canadian Museum of History and the Art Gallery of Ontario.

History

The cooperative emerged during postwar cultural initiatives involving James Houston, Federal Department of Northern Affairs and Natural Resources, and missionaries who had previously engaged with Inuit communities in Baffin Island, Hudson Bay, and the Keewatin. Early collaborations included print workshops influenced by exchanges with Norval Morrisseau networks and outreach from institutions such as the Winnipeg Art Gallery, the National Film Board of Canada, and the Canadian Handicrafts Guild. Notable early artists associated with the cooperative included Kenojuak Ashevak, Pitseolak Ashoona, Bessie Pootoogook, and Simeonie Ouitoq, whose work entered collections of the Royal Ontario Museum, Musée National des Beaux-Arts du Québec, and the Vancouver Art Gallery. The cooperative formalized governance through models seen in other northern enterprises like the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation-era initiatives and adapted to territorial changes culminating in the creation of Nunavut.

Organization and Governance

The cooperative is structured as a member-owned entity with a board drawn from Cape Dorset (now Kinngait) residents, aligning with practices observed in organizations such as the Hudson's Bay Company-era trading posts and later indigenous cooperatives like Nunavut Arctic College partnerships. Governance has involved prominent community leaders and artists such as Kananginak Pootoogook, Napachie Pootoogook, and administrators linked to the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development. Funding relationships have connected the cooperative to federal programs similar to grants from the Canada Council for the Arts, procurement via the Canada Post Inuit Art stamp initiatives, and sales channels including galleries in Montreal, Toronto, and New York City. The cooperative operates a print studio, a carving studio, a retail gallery and a catalogue sales operation, coordinating with curators, art handlers, and logistics providers that serve institutions such as the Canadian Museum of History and international auction houses like Sotheby's and Christie's.

Art Production and Operations

Production at the cooperative centers on stone sculpture, serigraphs, lithographs, and etchings worked by artists using materials sourced locally and through suppliers used by programs like the Winnipeg Art Gallery exchanges. Key sculptors such as Osuitok Ipeelee and printmakers such as Kenojuak Ashevak developed signature styles later highlighted alongside contemporaries like Pitseolak Ashoona and Bessie Pootoogook in exhibitions at the National Gallery of Canada and touring shows organized by curators connected to the Art Gallery of Ontario and the Canadian Museum of History. Editions are prepared under master printmakers who have engaged with international print specialists affiliated with institutions like the Robert McLaughlin Gallery and collectors involved with museums including the British Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The cooperative also issues annual print collections that have been distributed through dealers in Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, and international outlets in London and New York City.

Economic Impact and Community Development

The cooperative has been a primary economic driver in Cape Dorset/Kinngait, creating income streams for artists and workers and establishing retail and mail-order logistics comparable to community-based enterprises such as the Pangnirtung Weave Shop and artisan associations connected to the Nunavut Development Corporation. Revenues from print editions and carved works supported local services, housing initiatives, and cultural programs often coordinated with agencies like the Canada Council for the Arts and regional administrations in Nunavut. Sales to institutions including the Canadian Museum of History, private galleries in Toronto and Montreal, and international collectors have funneled royalties and studio fees back to members, influencing education and apprenticeship opportunities with ties to Nunavut Arctic College training programs and cultural mentorship models similar to those of the National Museum of the American Indian and other indigenous cultural centers.

Cultural Significance and Promotion

Artists associated with the cooperative have shaped perceptions of Inuit art nationally and internationally, influencing narratives presented by curators at the National Gallery of Canada, the British Museum, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Works from Cape Dorset have featured in national projects such as the Canada Post Inuit art stamp program and scholarly exhibitions coordinated with the Canadian Centre for Architecture and the Art Gallery of Ontario. Eminent figures like Kenojuak Ashevak, Osuitok Ipeelee, Kananginak Pootoogook, and Pitseolak Ashoona have been subjects of catalogues raisonnés, monographs published by presses working with the National Film Board of Canada and academic partnerships with universities such as the University of Toronto and McGill University. The cooperative’s annual print collections have become cultural artifacts referenced in studies by museums including the Canadian Museum of History and collections management at the British Museum.

Challenges and Contemporary Issues

Contemporary challenges include balancing market demand with cultural stewardship amid pressures similar to those confronting other indigenous enterprises like Pangnirtung Weave Shop and community arts organizations engaged with the Canada Council for the Arts. Issues have involved copyright and authenticity debates paralleling cases considered by the Supreme Court of Canada and intellectual property discussions with agencies analogous to the World Intellectual Property Organization. Climate change impacts on Baffin Island and logistical constraints affecting shipping to southern markets mirror concerns addressed by northern development bodies such as the Nunavut Impact Review Board and federal Arctic policy frameworks. The cooperative continues to navigate governance transitions, succession among elder artists, and partnerships with galleries and institutions in Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal, London, and New York City while seeking sustainable models observed in indigenous cultural enterprises worldwide.

Category:Inuit art