Government of Canada supports digitization of Inuit art at McMichael Canadian Art Collection Français
Minister of Canadian Heritage Pablo Rodriguez, announces funding for the digitization of Inuit art from the Kinngait Archive at McMichael Canadian Art Collection
TORONTO, June 28, 2023 /CNW/ - The Minister of Canadian Heritage, Pablo Rodriguez, announced funding for the digitization of an Inuit art collection held at McMichael Canadian Art Collection. Through the Digital Access to Heritage component of Canadian Heritage's Museums Assistance Program, the Government of Canada has provided $430,970 to the McMichael Canadian Art Collection to digitize 66,000 works on paper from the Kinngait (formerly Cape Dorset) Archive.
The Kinngait Archive will be made available in its entirety on the website www.iningatilagiit.ca, which will showcase trilingual information (English, French and Inuktitut). The manuscripts and interpretations will provide public access to beautiful works of art in the form of prints, drawings, and photographs produced by Inuit artists, which have not been seen by the community since the 1990s.
The website is fully accessible and developed to accommodate Northern internet connections. It will also be an important resource for students in Kinngait and other Inuit communities who will have direct access to their art history. This investment will help preserve the legacy of one of the largest collections of Inuit art in the world, ensuring that this important collection is accessible to all Canadians.
"Art is an important means of telling stories and passing on knowledge through the generations. The McMichael Canadian Art Collection project is a perfect example of the importance of promoting, protecting and preserving Inuit art. With this investment, we ensure that future generations have access to the Kinngait Archive and the traditional and cultural knowledge it holds. Congratulations to the entire team for making this possible."
—Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Canadian Heritage
"This collection of some 100,000 works on paper has been in trust with the museum since the 1990s. With the monumental task of digitization almost complete, this is the largest collection of Inuit art in the world and will soon be made publicly accessible virtually. We are very pleased to continue this important archiving partnership with McMichael Canadian Art Collection and look forward to the next phase of this historic undertaking."
—Pauloosie Kowmageak, West Baffin Cooperative President
"The Cape Dorset Archive, held on behalf of the West Baffin Eskimo Co-operative at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection in Kleinburg, is truly one the most amazing 'hidden' treasures in Canada. Around 89,000 original works on paper by some of the most famous names in Inuit art are stored here. The ground-breaking project to digitize the entire collection could only be achieved recently through the technical wizardry of internationally renowned photographer Ed Burtynsky, who invented a machine capable of the massive task, and the generosity of a grant from Canadian Heritage. This will go down in Canadian art history as a seminal moment in the appreciation of the remarkable achievement of artists like Kenojuak Ashevak, Pudlo Pudlat and many, many others. It allows, at long last, access to this visual treasure trove not just for the people of Kinngait, or a few scholars—but for all Canadians."
—Ian Dejardin, Executive Director, McMichael Canadian Art Collection
"It is exciting to see one of the largest collections of Inuit art in the world be digitized and become available to a larger audience for years to come. For nearly 60 years, the McMichael Canadian Arts Collection has continued to be a destination of choice for Canadian art lovers. The investment from Canadian Heritage enables McMichael Gallery to continue promoting, protecting, and preserving Indigenous history."
—Francesco Sorbara, Member of Parliament (Vaughan–Woodbridge)
The McMichael Canadian Art Collection is one of Ontario's largest art galleries. It is located on a 100-acre natural site in Kleinburg, Ontario, just north of Toronto.
The McMichael houses a permanent collection of 6,000 Canadian art works, with a focus on works by Tom Thomson, the Group of Seven and their contemporaries, and works by Indigenous Canadian artists. It holds the Kinngait archive of approximately 89,000 works on paper and 104 Inuit sculptures on loan from the West Baffin Co-Operative Ltd.
The Digital Access to Heritage component of the Museums Assistance Program provides funding for heritage organizations to digitize collections, develop digital content, and build their capacity in these areas.
Recovery Fund for Heritage Organizations – Museums Assistance Program
McMichael Canadian Art Collection d'art canadien
SOURCE Canadian Heritage
For more information (media only), please contact:Laura Scaffidi, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage, [email protected]; Media Relations, Canadian Heritage, 819-994-9101, 1-866-569-6155, [email protected]
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