HIGHLIGHTS
Exhibition Highlights A behind-the-scenes look at some notable projects on view now
To see a full list of exhibitions, visit our enhanced calendar online at: inuitartfoundation.org/calendar
Mark is a series commenting on the endangered state of the natural world of Alaska and beyond. A mark is a visible impression or trace on something, such as a line, cut, dent, stain or bruise. In this series, I consider many different concepts. A mark on the land, or an imposed line, can lead us to discuss climate change, natural resource extraction, loss of culture and identity, Western notions of the desire to collect and commodify, relationships to land, harvesting and subsistence, sovereignty and many other ideas. There are country borders dividing us— lines that Indigenous people have crossed for millennia—but what does this line mean for the inhabitants and animals of these places? – Sonya Kelliher-Combs
OCTOBER 5, 2018—MAY 12, 2019
Aiviq and Nanuq: Sea Horse and Sea Bear of the Arctic Anchorage Museum ANCHORAGE, ALASKA
Aiviq (walrus) and nanuq (polar bear) are perhaps the most ubiquitous creatures in the polar region. Through the lens of these animals, this exhibition at the Anchorage Museum—featuring works by Couzyn van Heuvelen, Nicholas Galanin and more, alongside pieces from the museum’s permanent collection—offers insights into a changing climate and the complex future of the North. We asked three artists included in the show to share a sneak peek of their works: Inuit Art Quarterly
Message is a hand-woven piece made of three short bars, three long bars and three short bars of polar bear guard hair in a Morse code pattern that form an SOS signal. The work is not so much about me, but the polar bear speaking about the issue of climate change and sending out a message. I really wish the piece could travel worldwide but, due to the Marine Mammal Protection Act, our request for a permit for the exhibition was denied. Therefore, because it is such a long piece, the work is being photographed and stitched together digitally to be presented as a single image. As an Indigenous artist and as an Inuk woman, my work is trying to raise awareness for our environment in the Arctic and our lifestyle. There should not be any borders or limits when we are trying to protect rather than exploit our land. – Maureen Gruben
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This work is really in your face. It’s large and hard to ignore, which is just like a walrus. If you’ve ever seen one up close, you know that they own the place. They are beyond human scale. This kind of multimedia work is quite labour intensive but satisfying because you don’t have to lie. I don’t have to create shadow and depth because it has its own delimited space that it occupies. For this particular work, I wanted to make it feel like it was really coming out of the water. I think the overall aim of this exhibition is to show reverence and impact, without being overtly political about it. That said, this show will inevitably spark a lot of conversation, and I hope that people will be able to connect the dots without being spoon-fed a narrative. – Alvin Amason
ABOVE (TOP)
ABOVE (BOTTOM LEFT)
Sonya Kelliher-Combs (b. 1969 Anchorage) — Mark, Polar Bear and Walrus 2018 Polar bear fur, fabric, acrylic, polymer and steal 121.9 × 243.8 × 15.2 cm
Maureen Gruben (b. 1963 Tuktoyaktuk) — Message (detail) 2015 Polar bear guard hair, cotton thread and black interface 60.7 × 457.2 cm
COURTESY ANCHORAGE MUSEUM
COURTESY THE ARTIST PHOTO KYRA KORDOSKI
Winter 2018