The OFFICIAL Inuit Art Society website

IAS Annual Meeting 2012

The Dennos Museum Center
Traverse City, MI
October 19-21, 2012

Save this fall weekend because another informative, stimulating annual meeting will be hosted by the Dennos with its outstanding collection of Inuit art. The meeting is also scheduled to coincide with the annual Dorset print auction not to mention the beautiful fall foliage in northern Michigan at this time of year. The IAS is also grateful for its continued partnership with and support from Terry Tarnow and the Dennos.

Hotel arrangements have been made. More meeting details to follow.
Meet Our New 2012 Board Members
- Si Gilman (Illinois)
  “From time to time, we tell each other that we have to stop buying. But we can't; there appears to be no cure for this affliction.” Read more about Si and his wife’s Inuit art “affliction.” » Full bio
- Fred Sparling (North Carolina)
  Fred and wife, Joyce, have traveled extensively in the Arctic to expand their knowledge of Inuit art and culture. So much so, in fact, they have published a memoir of their travels. » Full bio
- Lane Phillips (Minnesota)
  Can Inuit art take over your life? Ask Lane. He is a former IAS board president who has returned to take on other board duties. Aside from an extensive collection of both prints and sculptures, Lane describes himself as a “fanatic about collecting information about Inuit art” with three bookcases full of books, catalogues, and magazines to prove it. » Full bio
North to Nunvat: An Arctic Love Affair

While many couples in their early sixties are thinking of quietly retiring, Fred Sparling, a new IAS board member and his wife, Joyce, instead made increasingly adventurous forays onto the tundra. Out of those experiences came North to Nunvat which captures their transformative experiences and plea to save this important habitat.
Exhibitions
- “Arctic Inuit Connections: Learnings from the Top of the World” 18th Inuit Studies Conference
  
  Smithsonian campus on the National Mall, Washington, D.C.
  October 24-28, 2012
  
  This four day conference is under the sponsorship of the Smithsonian's Arctic Studies Center. It's broad theme inspires discussion about important Inuit issues and how they impact the rest of the world.
  » Read full conference details
- “Carving Traditions: Modern Inuit Carvings”
  Mitchell Museum of the American Indian
  3001 Central St., Evanston, IL
  January 7 - Early Fall, 2012
  
  A new temporary exhibit at the Mitchell Museum, “Carving Traditions” focuses on Inuit stone, bone, ivory, baleen and wood carving, an art form that dates back approximately 2,500 years. Created as a way to remember and honor past lifeways and to pass down traditions, these carvings provide a window into Inuit life. Since the 1940s, carvings have seen greatly increased popularity both within Inuit communities and among art collectors. In this exhibit you will discover how Inuit artists carve and shape unique materials; see carvings illustrating families, traveling, hunting, and animals; learn about how global warming is endangering this art form and play an interactive guessing game to learn more about carvings.
  
  Admission: $5 for adults; $3 for children, students, teachers and seniors.
  » More information
IAS Surveys Their Membership

During January, every single member of the IAS will be contacted by one of the ten board members and asked to evaluate past annual meetings and the various ways they receive communication from the IAS. Results will be published when the website is updated this spring.
Fall 2011 Annual Meeting Summary and Photos

It was the first international meeting of the IAS held across the border in Hamilton, Ontario.

The four-day agenda showcased presentations by native artists (two from the Arctic and one from Labrador) and academics along with a full-day field trip to locations in Hamilton, Mississauga and Toronto.

Special thanks to program chair, Janet Beylin, current IAS president and Hamilton residents Gene Hanson and Irene Schieberl for their help with all of the planning.

» View photos from the meeting including Mathew Nuqingaq drum dancing. (Photos courtesy of Ann Conway)

Get Involved

Being a member of the Inuit Art Society means connecting with other Inuit art enthusiasts, enriching your knowledge and experience of Inuit art, and supporting Inuit artists. » Become a member today!