NATIONAL INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DAY FRIDAY, JUNE 21 | 7
Soon Inuit artwork will take an even more prominent position through the Winnipeg Art Gallery’s Inuit Art Centre, set to open in 2020. The 40,000-square-foot building will showcase more than 13,000 contemporary and traditional Inuit carvings, drawings, prints, textiles and new media throughout its four storeys. Adding to the influx of northern influences, Western Canada’s first Inuit-specific resource centre opened its doors in Winnipeg in early May. Tunngasugit Inuit Resource Centre, located at 818 Sargent Ave., aims to promote and
enhance the quality of life for Inuit people living in Manitoba. Services are available in both English and Inuktitut in a supportive environment that attempts to replicate the spirit and culture of the Inuit lands. Maxine Angoo, Inuit outreach co-ordinator, explains that the centre offers cultural access, education, and assistance with health and social services to help Inuit people transition to life in the city. “For a lot of Inuit who come here, it’s a whole different world for them. They don’t know what to do or where to start,” Angoo said.
“I’m originally from Whale Cove, Nunavut, and it was really hard for me. There were a bunch of barriers that I faced — and that lots of Inuit face. So we’re here to help ease that transition.” Tunngasugit, which means “welcome,” is open by appointment on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, with drop-in days available on Wednesdays and Saturdays. “It’s a place where it’s familiar. There’s Inuit artwork on the walls and there’s Inuktitut books. Everyone’s speaking Inuktitut, enjoying tea and coffee,” Angoo said.
“We also have a free store with donations from various organizations, businesses and people, so low-income Inuit families can come here and grab whatever they need.” The non-profit centre provides access to computers and a phone with free long distance calling. Plans are in the works to offer classes in Inuktitut language, soapstone carving and sewing. “There has been nothing Inuit-specific here until now,” Angoo said. “We’re really happy that it’s finally here.”
WAG’s Inuit Art Centre rendering. Michael Maltzan Architecture.
Jim Carr, MP 204.983.1355
Terry Duguid, MP 204.984.6787
Doug Eyolfson, MP 204-984-6432
MaryAnn Mihychuk, MP 204.984.6322
Dan Vandal, MP 204.983.3183
Goota Ashoona. The Story of Nuliajuk, 2009. Collection of the Winnipeg Art Gallery, 2010-26. Photo: Ernest Mayer, courtesy of the WAG.
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