NUNAVUT

ARTS AND CULTURE

For 4,000 years, Inuit and their ancestors have survived in one of the world’s harshest environments – the treeless Arctic, a polar desert. Faced with few materials, men crafted ingenious tools needed to stay alive, and women cultivated
great technical skills to make the clothing necessary to survive temperatures of minus 50 degrees Celsius and colder. As hunter-gatherers, Inuit have also amassed powerful skills of observation and visual memory – natural skills for an artist. Their rich history can be tracedthrough the thousands of archaeological sites on the land, and through world famous Inuit art. Visitors who take part in art tours will soak up
the creative process and learn more.

West Baffin Eskimo Co-operative in Cape Dorset
This centre, established in 1961, is internationally renowned for its stonecut printing, lithographic printmaking, etching, and Inuit sculpture from soapstone, bone and marble. The Co-operative has earned Cape Dorset its reputation as the birthplace of Inuit art.
The Uqqurmiut Centre for Arts and Crafts in Pangnirtung
See skilled weavers masterfully play their looms at Pangnirtung’s famed tapestry studio. Uqqurmiut also houses a print shop, and each year a new collection showcases riveting artwork depicting legends, whaling, traditional activities and more.
Artists of Baker Lake
Famous for its appliquéd, embroidered wall hangings made from the heavy wool material called“duffel,” the community is also known for its unique prints and carvings.
Archaeological sites
Around Igloolik, Repulse Bay, Pond Inlet and most other communities are inuksuit (rock cairns), tent rings, qajaq stands and other archaeological sites that reveal clues about life for the Neoeskimo and Paleoeskimo peoples.

For more information:
Nunavut Tourism
Web site: www.NunavutTourism.com

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