Michele LeTourneau
Northern News Services

NNSL (Jan 25/99) - On April 1, as Nunavut becomes a reality, the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Hull, Que., will unveil its Inuit art exhibit, titled Iqaipaa (I remember, in Inuktitut): Celebrating Inuit Art, 1948-'70.

Fittingly, one piece to be included in the exhibit is the first piece ever given to James Houston -- the man who is said to have brought Inuit art to the rest of the world. The piece has been in Houston's possession for 51 years old.

"Kneeling caribou... and I can close my hand over it," says Houston. "It's pretty small, three inches long, and it's a little beauty."

It was back in '48, in Inukjuak, the first community Houston visited, with sketch pad in hand. Houston sketched the image of a woman. Her husband, Nayoumealook, grabbed the pad and drew Houston himself. Nayoumealook left and returned, his fist raised to Houston's face. Afraid he was going to get popped in the nose, he was offered the carving instead.

Houston is special advisor to the exhibit at the museum and has lent 21 other pieces of his collection for this exhibit.

Asked what the exhibit meant for him, Houston, in a telephone interview from Hull, replied, "It means that the damn thing has lasted for 51 years. And it seems to be still going on. That's a thrill in itself. That's something I would never have believed. In the earliest days, no one else would have, most certainly. And it's still growing like Topsy."

Houston expects that this exhibit will go further to drawing people's attention to Inuit art.

In total, there will be 120 sculptures in stone, whale bone, antler and ivory, ranging in size from miniature hand-carvings to large, imposing art works. There will also be 30 prints created in the communities of Baker Lake, Cape Dorset, Povungnituk and Holman Island.

Between the years of 1948 and '70, the Inuit experienced a dramatic shift in lifestyle. With the shift from nomadic life to one in settlements, carving and printmaking provided, over time, an economy that would fill the void created by the many changes.

"What I love about this exhibition is that it not only shows the art, but also the people behind the art. There are artists' photos, shots of people in their pre-settlement environments and quotes by the artists throughout."

"By reflecting on the past, many of the interviewed artists have given us a moving portrayal of their lives during this significant period," Houston comments.

This exhibition is the central one of the Museum of Civilization's 1999 theme: The Great Canadian North. Other exhibits will be Inuit and Englishmen: The Nunavut Voyages of Martin Frobisher and Nunavut, Jewel of the Arctic.