Thaw + Bloom - Inuit Prints of the Season

ᐅᐱᕐᖓᖅ – upirngaaq – Spring

With a population of less than 1,400 Kinngait is considered the most artistic community in Canada with almost 25% of residents employed in the arts.

Since 1959 the West Baffin Eskimo Cooperative has been producing an annual print collection. As a matter of fact, Kinngait Studios (AKA The Kenojuak Cultural Centre and Print Shop) is the longest running print studio in Canada.

Spring in the Arctic is an awakening.

Much of the art produced is tied to the change of seasons and the effects on the natural environment.

The return of the sun: sunlight hours go from 7 hours per month to 270 hours per month

The melting of the ice: opening up waterways 

Thawing of the permafrost: plant life blooms and flowers adding colour to the landscape

The return of migratory birds and wildlife: life abounds