West Baffin Eskimo Cooperative facts for kids
The West Baffin Eskimo Cooperative, also known as the Kinngait Co-operative, is a special business run by Inuit people in Kinngait, Nunavut. It is famous for buying, making, and selling amazing Inuit artworks. This co-operative is part of Arctic Co-operatives Limited, which is a group of local businesses that help provide important services in Canada's northern areas. The co-operative helps artists by setting fair prices for their art. It also pays artists in advance and shares its profits with all its members.
The co-operative started in 1959. It was created by James Houston and Kananginak Pootoogook. Their goal was to help local people earn money by making art. Since 1959, the co-operative has bought over 100,000 artworks from artists in the area. It also helps create a special collection of 50 prints by Kinngait artists every year.
By 2005, many artists from Kinngait (formerly Cape Dorset) became members of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts. These artists include Abraham Etungat, Pitseolak Ashoona, Pauta Saila, Kenojuak Ashevak, Osuitok Ipeelee, Kananginak Pootoogook, Mayureak Ashoona, Kiawak Ashoona, Paulaussie Pootoogook, Toonoo Sharky, Pitaloosie Saila, Aqjangajuk Shaa, and Oviloo Tunnillie.
The co-operative's main office and its printmaking studio, called Kinngait Studios, are located inside the Kenojuak Cultural Centre and Print Shop. This centre is named after Kenojuak Ashevak, a very important artist in modern Inuit art. The co-operative also runs Dorset Fine Arts. This is an art gallery in Toronto, Ontario. Its job is to sell and market the art made by the co-operative's members.
How the West Baffin Eskimo Cooperative Started
In the late 1940s, a printmaker named James Archibald Houston was working in the western part of Baffin Island. He was very impressed by the sculptures made by some of the people living there. When he returned to Montreal, he became a "roving crafts officer" for the Canadian Handicrafts Guild. His job was to show Inuit artworks to people in southern Canada. He would buy Inuit art in the North and sell it in the South.
In 1954, the fur trade, which was a main way for people to earn money, started to decline. Because of this, the Canadian government sent James Houston to Kinngait, which was then called Cape Dorset. His mission was to start a printmaking studio. This would give local people a new way to earn money. There, he met and began working with the Inuit artist Kananginak Pootoogook.
In 1959, Houston and Pootoogook released a series of prints made by Inuit artists. These prints became very popular right away. In the same year, they officially started the West Baffin Eskimo Cooperative. This business was created to support local Inuit artists whose work was becoming famous. Kananginak Pootoogook was the co-operative's first president. In 1960, the Inuit leaders of the co-operative hired Terry Ryan. He was a recent graduate from the Ontario College of Art and became the co-operative's general manager.
Supporting Inuit Art and Artists
In 1961, the Canadian government created the Canadian Eskimo Arts Committee. The co-operative had asked for this committee to be formed. Its job was to set rules for the yearly print collection and to help sell the artworks. The Canadian government ran this committee. For the first twelve years, until 1973, there were no Inuit members on the committee. Then, Joanasie Salomonie and Armand Tagoona joined. The committee stopped operating in 1989.
Terry Ryan stayed with the co-operative until 2009. In 1978, he played a big part in starting Dorset Fine Arts. This is the part of the co-operative in Toronto that helps market and sell the art.
In 1977, a fire destroyed the print studio and art records of the Sanavik Co-operative in Baker Lake. After this, the West Baffin Eskimo Cooperative decided to store most of its print collection at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection. In 2019, the co-operative made an agreement with the McMichael. They decided to make digital copies of over 100,000 prints and sculptures from the co-operative's collection.
In the 1980s and 1990s, Dorset Fine Arts helped promote the artist Oviloo Tunnillie. They held several special shows just for her artwork.
Modern Developments and Future Plans
In 2018, the co-operative worked with the town of Kinngait (which was then called Cape Dorset) to build the Kenojouak Cultural Center and Printshop. This new building is where the co-operative's main activities take place.
The co-operative celebrated its 60th birthday in 2019. To mark this special occasion, they held a traveling art show that featured works made by their members.
Also in 2019, the Canadian Premier League asked the co-operative for help. They hired the co-operative to design and sculpt the yearly trophies for individual player awards. These awards include the Golden Boot, Golden Goalie, and Player of the Year.
