Darrell Greer
Northern News Services
Published Wednesday, November 28, 2007
RANKIN INLET - The Matchbox Gallery in Rankin Inlet is making its 20th-anniversary year as memorable and exciting as the work its artisans produce.
The Shaman's Bear by Matchbox Gallery artists Jack Nuviak and Leo Napayok in Rankin Inlet in November of 2007. - Photo courtesy of Jim Shirley |
The gallery wraps up a show at Nunavut's legislative assembly in Iqaluit this Friday, Nov. 30, before unveiling a retrospective exhibition of works from Rankin at the National Gallery in Ottawa this coming month.
The gallery, renowned as a community-based arts organization, had its milestone anniversary featured on the cover of a recent edition of Inuit Art Quarterly.
The past two decades have been both challenging and wondrous for the Matchbox Gallery's founding co-ordinators, artists Jim and Sue Shirley, who arrived in the Kivalliq in 1979.
They began their unique gallery in 1987 as a crosscultural workshop, which also served as a display, production and training centre.
The Matchbox Gallery is the only privately-owned, artistrun, crosscultural, gallery-workshop of its kind in Canada.
Jim said he and Sue's top priorities since 1990 have been the production of ceramics and the delivery of community-based programs.
He said the gallery has preserved the reputation of Rankin as the only community producing Inuit finearts ceramics in the world.
"The original governmentrun project, which inspired the Matchbox program, ran from the early '60s to the mid'70s," said Jim.
"Since 1990, we have worked closely with communitybased artists in a ceramics program that is unique to Nunavut and the world at large.
"In addition to ceramics, our artists are also active in printmaking, painting, carving and jewellery making."
The Matchbox Gallery has an impressive list of exhibitions to its credit.
Matchbox art has been showcased in institutional and commercial galleries throughout Canada, the United States and Europe, as well as being included in institutional and private collections around the world.
The gallery has several works in ceramics and other media included in the permanent collection of Nunavut's legislative assembly, the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre and the Cerny Collection of Inuit Art in Bern, Switzerland.
It also has ceramic works in the National Gallery of Canada, Macdonald Stewart Collection, Winnipeg Art Gallery and the Museum of Inuit Art in Toronto.
Jim said the Matchbox Gallery has four large works that will be included in the show at the National Gallery which is slated to begin in early December.
He said the display at the legislative assembly and the upcoming exhibition at the National Gallery are significant events for Kivalliq, especially people in Rankin Inlet.
"The show is a recognition of what we've achieved with this ceramic project because the other works in the display are from 20 and 30 years ago," said Jim.
"Ours is the only contemporary work being displayed in the national show.
"All six of our ceramic artists will have work displayed at the National Gallery, while everyone who ever worked at the Matchbox had their work displayed at the legislative assembly."
Jim said the Ottawa show will be a proud time for the Matchbox Gallery, knowing he and Sue have accomplished this after 20 years of sticking to their agenda.
He said the show is testimony to the fact they've worked hard to produce good work in, and for, the community of Rankin Inlet.
"Although a major show is certainly not new to our artists, they're pleased to be having their work displayed in the most significant gallery for the presentation of art in the country.
"Work, in any medium, from Rankin has rarely been shown at the National Gallery, so this is a big plus for our community.
"The Matchbox Gallery has been a source of learning and support to artists in other areas, who are successful while working independently, and this reaches beyond the local level to them.
"It's important for those artists to see this and be encouraged by it."
