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Dear friends,
Please visit us in person or online to see our new acquisitions. Of course, we can only highlight a fraction of our selections in newsletters and on the website. If you are looking for a particular artist, subject or community, please contact us and we will be happy to assist you.
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Henry Evaluardjuk (1923-2007)
Henry Evaluardjuk was one of the early master carvers. Born in Igloolik in 1923, his family moved to Pond Inlet, where he began carving. He then moved to Iqaluit, where he was instrumental in founding the Iqaluit artists' cooperative.
Henry became known for his carvings of bears, which are muscular and agile, ready to spring to life. Slightly less well known are his exquisite carvings of people. The young woman pictured here is lovely, and appears to be listening intently, her head cocked to one side. In addition, we are fortunate to have in the gallery one of the handful of prints that Henry made. The Story Teller was made in 1967, and shows a spirited scene inside an igloo.
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 In Memoriam
Itee Pootoogook (1951-2014), one of Cape Dorset's most promising graphic artists, died in March at age 63. He pioneered drawings using colored pencil on black paper, creating subtle luminous effects. His work was featured in the gallery's exhibition Views from the North: Original Drawings from Cape Dorset. Click here to read his obituary from Nunatsiaq News.
Recently, Isaaci Etidlooie (1972-2014) also died prematurely. Isaaci was a grandson of master carver Etidlooie Etidlooie. Ten years ago, I bought a loon-and-chick carving from him in Cape Dorset. His talent was apparent then, and we can only wonder what his mature work would have been like.
In 2013, the Inuit art community lost the towering Kenojuak Ashevak (1927-2013), as well as Nick Sikkuark (1943-2013), a master of whimsy, and Noo Atsiaq (1985-2013), creator of lively dancing bears.
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 The Inuit Art Quarterly is back!
The Inuit Art Quarterly has resumed publication, with an issue devoted to Kenojuak Ashevak. Read personal recollections of Kenojuak. Norman Vorano captured her impact in two sentences: "Although she was born in an igloo on South Baffin Island her prints are now spread around the world like arctic flowers blooming in the most unexpected places. This stalwart of 20th century modern Canadian art revolutionized the way we imagine ourselves."
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Views from the North:
Drawings from Cape Dorset
Our exhibition of original one-of-a-kind drawings from Cape Dorset, Views from the North: Drawings from Cape Dorset can still be seen online.
Cape Dorset drawings have evolved from being merely the starting point for prints to being fully realized works. Through their drawings, the younger generation of artists is grappling with current issues, like global warming and the relationship between traditional ways and 21st century reality.
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We can help you build your library
 We have a selection of books that will enhance your appreciation of your collection. They include cornerstones like George Swinton's seminal "Sculpture of the Inuit," Leslie Boyd Ryan's comprehensive "Cape Dorset Prints: A Retrospective," Aldona Jonaitis' excellent survey "Art of the Northwest Coast," and Alan Wardwell's definitive "Ancient Eskimo Ivories of the Bering Strait." They also include a number of published collections and more specialized books. For a complete list, click here. |
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About Us
Alaska on Madison is a gallery of indigenous art of Alaska and Canada run by collectors for collectors. We feature Inuit art of the twentieth and twenty-first century Canadian Arctic, two-thousand-year-old objects from the Old Bering Sea cultures, and nineteenth century art from the Northwest Coast peoples and Yup'ik Eskimos. Our collection ranges from museum-quality works to more modest but still excellent works for private collectors, whether novice or sophisticated.
Baffled by syllabic signatures? Learn how to interpret them by using our guide, Deciphering Inuktitut Signatures, and our Inuit Artist Search Tool.
Regular gallery hours are Tuesday - Saturday 1:00 - 6:30 pm, but please check with us first if you are planning to arrive late in the day (see personal note above).
Visit our website
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