This exhibition was created by students in the Barnard College seminar seminar “Exhibiting Modern Inuit Sculpture” taught by Elizabeth Hutchinson. Five undergraduates, Lauren Lee, Hannah Matin, Emilia McFerren, Olivia Nelson, and Olganydia Plata Aguilera, worked closely with two collections of artworks to create this digital exhibition, whose title comes from an essay by Inuk scholar and curator Heather Igloliorte. The collections used include a group of ten carvings donated to Columbia University in 2018 and thirty prints and sculptures held at the Brooklyn Museum. The students elected to work closely with the following five pieces (shown from several angles in the gif above in order):
Lucassie Nowra. Inukjuak, Nunavut. Standing Male on Base, 1950-1993. Soapstone, ivory. 4 1/4 x 3 3/8 x 3 1/4 in. (10.8 x 8.6 x 8.3 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Hilda and Al Schein Collection. 2004.79.10
Nuyaliaq Qimirpik. Kimmirut, Nunavut. Muskox, 1990. Soapstone, antler. 13 x 22 3/4 x 7 1/2 in. (33 x 58.3 x 19 cm). Columbia University Art Properties. Gift of Robin Wagner, Barnard College ’80, and Jerome Grossman, Columbia College ’61. 2018.14.007
Rolo. Kinngait, Nunavut. Seal with Young, ca. 1970. Serpentine. 14 1/2 x 14 1/2 x 12 1/4 in. (37.3 x 37.3 x 31.2 cm). Columbia University Art Properties. Gift of Robin Wagner, Barnard College ’80, and Jerome Grossman, Columbia College ’61. 2018.14.001
Oviloo Tunnillie. Kinngait, Nunavut. Dancing Lady, 1997. Soapstone. 17 1/8 x 12 x 6 in. (43.4 x 30.5 x 15.2 cm). Columbia University Art Properties. Gift of Robin Wagner, Barnard College ’80, and Jerome Grossman, Columbia College ’61. 2018.14.008
Lucy Tasseor Tutsweetok. Qamani’tuaq, Nunavut. Mother and Child, 1966, Basalt. 20 1/4 x 13 x 9 1/2 in. (51.5 x 33 x 24.2 cm). Columbia University Art Properties. Gift of Robin Wagner, Barnard College ’80, and Jerome Grossman, Columbia College ’61. 2018.14.010
In addition to working with the sculptures, students studied works by Inuit artists, filmmakers, curators and scholars. They also read about decolonizing museums and exhibitions. Finally, throughout the semester, they met with Indigenous and non-Indigenous curators and museum professionals, including Roberto Ferrari from Columbia University Art Properties, Nancy Rosoff, Lisa Bruno and Molly Seegers of the Brooklyn Museum, Nak Alariaq from Concordia University, Jami Powell from the Hood Museum of Art, and Marla Redcorn-Miller from the Osage Nation Museum.
The timeline below traces the history of Inuit carving within the larger context of Inuit history. We also use Story Maps to explore individual sculptures in depth. Throughout, we present the works as expressions of Inuit ideas and values.
Link to bibliography for the Timeline and the Storymap and suggestions for further reading.
This course is part of the educational initiative Barnard Teaches: Real Place + Digital Access, a technology and place-based learning project at Barnard College supported by the Mellon Foundation. We would like to thank Barnard staff Meredith Wisner, Elana Altman and Sarah Greene for their generous support for this course.