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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.

 
 
Join us at the Antique American Indian Art Show in Santa Fe

Opening Tuesday, August 19 6-9 pm
Wednesday and Thursday, August 20-21 
11 am-6 pm
 

 
 
 
Coming soon:
Women of the Kivalliq and Kitikmeot 
September 11 - October 15
 
Please join us in the gallery for an opening reception Thursday, September 11 from 6:00-8:30 p.m. for Women of the Kivalliq and Kitikmeot
This exhibition will feature the work of 22 women artists from communities west of Hudson's Bay: Arviat, Baker Lake, Coppermine, Rankin Inlet and Taloyoak. 
 

 

Carving began in these communities in the late 1950s, about ten years after the communities of Arctic Quebec and Baffin Island. Generally, the local stone in the western communities is much denser and harder to work than the serpentine of southern Baffin Island.  This has led to a marked difference in regional styles, with many of the artists of the Kivalliq and the Kitikmeot working in an abstract, minimalist style.

 

 

 

 In Baker Lake, Jessie Oonark started producing graphics in 1959, leading to a flourishing graphics program in the 1960s and 1970s. A number of women also produced distinctive wallhangings, using appliqué and embroidery techniques.  In contrast to the spare style of the carvings, the graphics and wallhangings explode with color and dramatic designs.

 

 

Like their male counterparts, the women of the western communities tended to favor human subjects -- individual men and women, and mother-and-child compositions -- but there were notable exceptions. Maudie Okittuq of Taloyoak and Peggy Ekagina of Coppermine created fascinating transformation pieces. A shaman by Camille Iquliq of Baker Lake shows how minor physical differences can transform an ordinary man into a powerful spirit.  And the Janet Kigusiuq drawing pictured above is a vibrant landscape.

 

 

Ovilu Tunnillie (1949-2014)


Inuit art lost another giant when Ovilu Tunnillie died in June. She was born at Cape Dorset in 1949; both of her parents were artists. She showed great talent early in her career, in a series of beautifully rendered hawks and eagles. Over time, her subject matter shifted. She did a series of carvings of sednas in innovative poses, playing games with the sedna's hair morphing into the ocean waves. Then followed a series of carvings that explored women's bodies and their roles in the community. Like Annie Pootoogook, Ovilu explored the darker aspects of life in the north, including alcohol and substance abuse. She died far too young. 
 
Pictured here is an early transformation carving by Ovilu, which includes elements of bird, insect, and human. Its elegant composition and finish are characteristic of her work.
 
 
Through September 21 

This is a "must see" exhibit for those interested in Northwest Coast art. Haida artist Charles Edenshaw (1839-1920) is recognized as one of the most innovative artists working on the west coast at the turn of the twentieth century. This exhibition offers a complete overview of Edenshaw's work.

 

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. We also have a selection of books that will enhance your appreciation of your collection. 

 

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 1:30 - 6:00 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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Alaska on Madison | 1065 Madison Avenue, Second Floor | Between 80th and 81st Streets | New York | NY | 10028