Celebrating Inuit Art 1948-1970

Preface by James Houston Fifty years following the sale of the first Inuit artwork in Montreal, Quebec, comes Celebrating Inuit Art 1948-1970 . This is a richly illustrated publication featuring more than 100 stunning colour reproductions of powerful Inuit sculptures created during the 1948-1970 period, and drawn from the Canadian Museum of Civilization's extensive Inuit art collections. Essays by Ann Meekitjuk Hanson, James Houston and Maria Finckenstein explore the origins of Inuit art, its development and its important role in the Inuit way of life since 1948. Celebrating Inuit Art 1948-1970 demonstrates how artmaking not only provided a welcome income to individuals and communities after the traditional economy had collapsed, but also eased the transition from camp to settlement life by providing a sense of pride and cultural identity in the face of overwhelming acculturation. Through traditional stories and legends, personal anecdotes, and down to earth descriptions and comments on the artwork, the voices of the Inuit artists themselves are heard, giving the reader a unique perspective on what is now known around the world as Inuit Art.