Glossary of Canadian Art History

Part of the first generation of artists in Cape Dorset (Kinngait), Mary Qayuaryuk was a midwife and healer as well as a carver and printmaker: wildlife was her preferred subject, with a particular focus on owls and other birds. She lived on the land until 1966, when she moved to Cape Dorset. She worked with the West Baffin Eskimo Co-operative (now Kinngait Studios) from 1966 to 1982 and was the first woman elected to the Cape Dorset Community Council. Her husband was the carver Kopapik “A” and three of her daughters—Qaunaq Mikkigak, Sheokjuke Toonoo, and Laisa Qayuaryuk—also became artists.

A sculptor, graphic artist, and printmaker, Lukta Qiatsuk began making art in Cape Dorset in 1957–58. He was the master printmaker for more than two hundred prints for the Cape Dorset annual print collection. His sculpture includes both human and wildlife subjects, with a strong focus on birds, particularly owls.

A graphic artist and printmaker, Tikitu Qinnuayuak was married to Lucy Qinnuayuak, who became one of the mainstays of the Cape Dorset print program from 1961 until her death in 1982.

A painter and cultural worker who combines Salish mythology with collage, appropriated imagery, and formal elements of Western canon artists to consider environmental destruction and the systemic oppression of Indigenous peoples. In the 1970s Smith founded the Grey Canyon Artists based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to advocate for Indigenous women artists.

During the 1960s, Quebecois society underwent a rapid change. Following the 1960 provincial election, which brought Jean Lesage’s Liberal government to power, Quebec opened up to political and social reforms. A new Quebec identity replaced the more common French Canadian identity and, in addition, the Catholic Church’s influence began to diminish. The idea of an independent and autonomous Quebec state was introduced to the international scene.

Invented and traditionally practiced by the Indigenous peoples of North America, quillwork refers to the art of using porcupine quills to decorate and embellish objects and textiles. Quills were often dyed or painted before being embroidered and sewn onto items such as clothing, bags, and tools.