On behalf of the Nunavimmiut, the Avataq Cultural Institute preserves a very large collection of regional Inuit artwork, along with numerous artifacts representing Nunavik’s material culture. Starting in the late 1980s, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) ensured the return of such items (if acquired after the late 1940s) to the inhabitants of the North. Currently, Nunavik’s Inuit art is shared between the Avataq Cultural Institute, the Canadian Museum of Civilization (CMC) and the National Gallery of Canada (NGC). The curators of Avataq’s collection were primarily concerned with providing a balanced and adequate representation of each of the region’s 14 communities. Additional criteria included: aesthetic, historical and cultural considerations, and the artist’s contributions to communal heritage.
Thanks to the transfer of returned objects and to newer acquisitions, the Nunavik Inuit Art Collection is comprised of works that reflect important cultural and historical characteristics of the region. These include sculptures from 1940 to 1980; prints and other works on paper from the 1960s and 1970s; tools and other utilitarian objects made between 1960 and 1975; and a large selection of artisanal craftwork such as dolls, baskets and clothing.
In accordance with the mandate granted by the 1981 Inuit Elders Conference, the management of the Nunavik Inuit Art Collection is to include inventory work, as well as the preservation, promotion and further development of the collection, and, when necessary, the repatriation of art and artifacts linked to Nunavimmiut cultural heritage. Since the spring of 2009, our collection has been housed in museum settings that provide security, respect environmental standards and ensure future preservation.
Having fully inventoried the collection, the Institute is currently photographing most of the objects in 3-D. These objects are all listed in a trilingual database that can be consulted (on appointment) at the offices of the Avataq Cultural Institute. This digitized inventory has helped improve other databases, notably those of Artefact Canada and the Info-Muse Network.
