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Wall of beauty

Darrell Greer
Northern News Services

Baker Lake (Mar 22/06) - Art from the Kivalliq's Baker Lake is being prominently displayed at the Nunatta Sunakkutaangit Museum in Iqaluit this week.

NNSL Photo/graphic

Nunatta Sunakkutaangit Museum manager and curator Brian Lunger is excited about the collection of wall hangings done by Baker Lake female artists currently on display at the Iqaluit museum. - Jillian Dickens/NNSL photo


The exhibit is named Qamanittuaq Wall Hangings: Sewn Pictures from Baker Lake.

There are 15 Baker Lake wall hangings being displayed in the exhibit, including a number by such well-known artists as Irene Avaalaaqiaq, Elizabeth Angrnaqquaq, Victoria Mamnguqsualuk, Winnie Tatya and Naomi Ityi, among others.

Manager-curator Brian Lunger has been with the Nunatta Sunakkutaangit Museum for the past five years.

Lunger said the exhibit features recent work from female Baker artists that are on loan to the museum from private collections.

He said it's not very often the Iqaluit museum gets the opportunity to display Kivalliq art and he's quite excited about the opportunity.

The exhibit opened this past Saturday, March 18, and will remain at the museum until April 10.

"Being from private collections, these beautiful works of art will be for viewing only and will not be for sale," said Lunger.

"We look at this as a wonderful opportunity to promote this art form.

"It's not often you see a collection like this in the same place at the same time."

The Nunatta Sunakkutaangit Museum is run by an independent not-for-profit society and has been in Iqaluit, in one form or another, for the past 20 years.

Lunger said the main focus of the museum is local and regional art.

He said the museum is, in reality, an arts and culture centre featuring numerous sculptures and traditional artifacts such as clothing and other items from the past.

"We also have guest speakers in from time to time and we host different events and presentations throughout the year.

"On average, we will host about seven or eight visiting exhibits per year at the museum.

"Most exhibits we host tend to have more of a Baffin theme or focus to them, so it's a special time for us to have this exhibit focusing on art from Baker Lake."