JIMMY INARULI ARNAMISSAK (SMITH; ARNAMISSA; QUISSA; ARNAMITSA;
INNAARULIK)
Born: March 31, 1946 Male E9-962
Place of Birth: Cape Smith
Resides: Inukjuak; also lived in Akulivik and Puvirnituq
Sculpture
Jimmy Inaruli Arnamissak was born on March 31, 1946 at Cape Smith; his
alternative name "Jimmy Smith" is derived from his place of birth, where he
lived until circa 1956. After his father Silassie was killed while hunting
seal, his mother Louisa became the sole source of support for the family. In
1957, to supplement her pension, Jimmy began to carve. Through hard work and
long hours he developed his talent and is now recognized as one of Arctic
Quebec's leading sculptors. After successful tenure as the manager of the
local cooperative, Jimmy resigned to devote full-time to carving.
Although Jimmy's mother died in 1975 she continued to occupy a central
position in his life. Upon close inspection one discerns Louisa's facial
features on Jimmy's female figures. Furthermore, a central theme in his work
began to emerge: that of the active mother and wife engaged in domestic
activities such as, tending children, preparing hides, making drum music,etc.
Whether carving traditional or contemporary themes, Jimmy pays careful
attention to detail. He carves lively genre scenes which may include
groupings of figures, kayaks, dogteams, igloos, and komatiks (sleds) arranged
in a compressed space of ice, snow cliffs and flowing water. Human faces are
often carved separately in ivory inlay, a technique that has been utilized by
several Arctic Quebec sculptors since the early 1950s.
In 1986, Jimmy's work was included in a exhibition of Inuit and African
soapstone carving that was shown in Kisii, Kenya. Subsequently, he was
invited to work in the Kenyan village of Tabacca in August of that year as
part of a cross-cultural exchange sponsored by the International Development
Research Centre in Ottawa.
EXHIBITIONS: 1966 Esquimaux, Peuple du Quebec
Musee du Quebec
Quebec City, Quebec
(illustrated catalogue)
January - March 1972 Eskimo Fantastic Art
Gallery 111, School of Art,
University of Manitoba
Winnipeg, Manitoba
(tour)
(illustrated catalogue)
Sep - Nov 1976 Eskimo Sculptures and Works by well-known
Canadian Artists
Artfinders Gallery
Pointe Claire, Quebec
Dec 1977 - Feb 1978 Povungnituk
Winnipeg Art Gallery
Winnipeg, Manitoba
(illustrated catalogue)
August 1978 Sculpture d'artisti eschimesi
Casino Municipal
San Remo, Italy
October - Nov 1978 Eskimo Art
Embankment Gallery
London, England
(illustrated catalogue)
March - April 1979 Canadian Eskimo Art: a representative
exhibition from the collection of Professor
and Mrs. Philip Gray
Fine Arts Gallery, Montana State
University
Bozeman, Montana, U.S.A.
(catalogue)
January - Feb 1983 Arctic Woman
Alaska Shop Gallery of Eskimo Art
New York, New York, U.S.A.
Sep - October 1983 Inuit Survival
Enook Galleries, Waterloo, Ontario
Presented at the University of Waterloo
Art Gallery
Waterloo, Ontario
December 1983 Artists of Arctic Quebec
Inuit Gallery of Vancouver
Vancouver, British Columbia
(illustrated catalogue)
March - April 1984 Heritage of the Inuit: Masterpieces
of the Eskimo
Colorado Galleries of the Arts,
Arapahoe Community College
Littleton, Colorado, U.S.A.
July 1984 Treasures from Canada's Arctic
Heritage Place
Uxbridge, Ontario
Sep - October 1984 On the Land
The Arctic Circle
Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.
October 1984 Inuit Art from Arctic Quebec
La Federation des Cooperatives du
Nouveau-Quebec
presented at the Canada Trade Centre
Tokyo, Japan
December 1984 Takamit - Canadian Eskimo Art: Selections
from Private Collections and the Government
of Canada
Organized by La Federation des Cooperatives
du Nouveau-Quebec and the Jane Voorhees
Zimmerli Art Museum, Rutgers University
New Brunswick, New Jersey, U.S.A.
(illustrated brochure)
1985 - 1986 Sanaugasi Takujaksat: A Travelling
Celebration of Inuit Sculpture
Presented by Canadian Arctic Producers
Ltd., with the assistance of
Indian and Northern Affairs Canada,
Ottawa
(tour)
(illustrated brochure)
May - June 1986 Northern Exposure: Inuit Images of Travel
Burnaby Art Gallery
Burnaby, British Columbia
(illustrated catalogue)
June 1986 New Beginnings: a celebration of Native
expression at the first Native Business Summit
Metro Toronto Convention Centre
Toronto, Ontario
August 1986 Arctic Quebec Sculpture
Inuit Gallery of Vancouver
Vancouver, British Columbia
(illustrated catalogue)
August 1986 Inuit and Kisii Soapstone Sculpture
sponsored by the International Development
Research Centre in Ottawa
Kisii, Kenya
May 1987 [L'art inuit]
Presented by l'iglou Art Esquimau, Douai
at Les Arts de l'Enclos, Honfleur
France
May - June 1987 [Inuit Art Exhibition]
Whitby Arts Incorporated,
The Station Gallery
Whitby, Ontario
July - August 1987 Mother
Gallery Indigena
Stratford, Ontario
(illustrated catalogue)
July - August 1987 Exposition Sculptures d'Arctique
Hotel d'Asfeld
St. Malo, France
Sep - Nov 1987 The Swinton Collection of Inuit Art
Winnipeg Art Gallery
Winnipeg, Manitoba
(illustrated catalogue)
Dec 1987 - Feb 1988 Inuk, Inuit: Art et tradition chez les
esquimaux d'hier et d'aujourd'hui
presented by L'Iglou Art Esquimau, Douai,
at Musee des Beaux-arts d'Arras
Arras, France
(illustrated catalogue)
1988 - 1990 Stories in Stone: Soapstone Sculptures From
Northern Quebec and Kenya
La Federation des Cooperatives du
Nouveau-Quebec
Montreal, Quebec
(tour)
(illustrated catalogue)
April 1988 [L'art inuit]
Presented by l'Iglou Art Esquimau, Douai
at Palais de L'Europe, Le Touquet
France
July 1988 [L'art inuit]
Presented by l'Iglou Art Esquimau, Douai
at Chapelle de la Visitation, Thonon
France
August - Sep 1988 Mother & Child
Marion Scott Gallery
Vancouver, British Columbia
(illustrated catalogue)
November 1988 [L'art inuit]
Presented by l'Iglou Art Esquimau, Douai
at Les Martres-de-Veyre
France
December 1988 [L'art inuit]
Presented by l'Iglou Art Esquimau, Douai
at Galerie des Tanneurs, Mulhouse
France
January - Feb 1989 Images of the Far North
Arctic Artistry
(held at the Erie County Fairgrounds)
Hartsdale, New York, U.S.A.
February - March 1989 [L'art inuit]
Presented by l'Iglou Art Esquimau, Douai
at St. Marcellin
France
March - April 1989 [L'art inuit]
Presented by l'Iglou Art Esquimau, Douai
at Galerie Autre Regard, Paris
France
April 1989 Master Works from the Early Years
Arctic Artistry
Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, U.S.A.
June 1989 Masters of the Arctic: An Exhibition
of Contemporary Inuit Masterworks
Presented by the Amway Corporation
at the United Nations General Assembly
New York, New York, U.S.A.
(tour)
(illustrated catalogue)
June - July 1989 Art Inuit
Presented by l'Iglou Art Esquimau, Douai
at Galerie Sanguine, La Rochelle
France
August 1989 Art Inuit, la Sculpture des Esquimaux
du Canada
Presented by l'Iglou Art Esquimau, Douai
at Chapelle de la Visitation,
Thonon
France
October 1989 Art Inuit, Sculpture des Esquimaux
du Canada
Presented by l'Iglou Art Esquimau, Douai
at Galerie La Poutre, Marseille
France
December 1989 Art Inuit, la Sculpture des Esquimaux du Canada
Presented by l'Iglou Art Esquimau, Douai
at Les Chiroux, Centre Culturel de la Wallonie,
Liege
Belgium
February - March 1990 Beeldhouwkunst van de Inuit (Canada)
by l'Iglou Art Esquimau, Douai, France
at Amphora Finippon pvba, Sint Andries,
Brugge, Belgium
August 1990 Traditions and Innovations in Inuit Art
Sculpture in Stone
Images of the North
San Francisco, California, U.S.A.
(illustrated brochure)
November - Dec 1990 Art Inuit: Autour de la Collection de Cape
Dorset 1990
Presented by l'Iglou Art Esquimau, Douai
at Centre Culturel Canadien
Paris, France
Dec 1990 - Feb 1991 Drummers
The Guild Shop
Toronto, Ontario
February - June 1991 Granville Island Canadian Inuit Sculpture
Exhibition (first exhibition)
Vancouver Inuit Art Society
Vancouver, British Columbia
April - May 1991 Art Inuit
Presented by l'Iglou Art Esquimau, Douai
at Palais de l'Europe
Le Touquet, France
May - June 1991 Art Inuit
Presented by l'Iglou Art Esquimau, Douai
at La Halle aux Bles
Saint Malo, France
June - Sep 1991 Granville Island Canadian Inuit Sculpture
Exhibition (second exhibition)
Vancouver Inuit Art Society
Vancouver, British Columbia
July - August 1991 Glaciopolis: Art Inuit
Presented by l'Iglou Art Esquimau, Douai
at Maison de Pesey
Les Arcs, France
October - Dec 1991 Art Inuit
Presented by l'Iglou Art Esquimau, Douai
at Galerie Maite Aubert
Le Havre, France
February - April 1992 Art Inuit
Presented by l'Iglou Art Esquimau, Douai
at Galerie Montador
Dieppe, France
February - Aug 1992 Inuit Art on the Mezzanine: New Acquisitions
Winnipeg Art Gallery
Winnipeg, Manitoba
(illustrated brochure)
May - August 1992 Hudson's Bay Company Collection of Inuit Art
Winnipeg Art Gallery
Winnipeg, Manitoba
(illustrated brochure)
February 1993 Kunstwerke der Inuit
Presented by CreARTion, Eppstein
in conjunction with the annual meeting
of the Association of Canadian Studies
at the Hotel am Badersee
Grainau, Germany
June 1995 - Feb 1996 Inuit Woman: Life and Legend in Art
Winnipeg Art Gallery
Winnipeg, Manitoba
SOLO EXHIBITIONS: July - August 1984 Jimmy Arnamissak
Gallery Indigena
Stratford, Ontario
October 1986 Jimmy Arnamissak: Recent Sculpture
The Guild Shop
Toronto, Ontario
(illustrated catalogue)
COLLECTIONS: Amway Environmental Foundation Collection, Ada, Michigan, U.S.A.
Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, Halifax, Nova Scotia
Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, Ontario
Canadian Museum of Civilization, Hull, Quebec
Dennos Museum Center, Northwestern Michigan College, Traverse City, Michigan, U.S.A.
Klamer Family Collection, Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, Ontario
Musee de la civilisation, Quebec City, Quebec
Musee des beaux-arts de Montreal, Montreal, Quebec
Museum of Anthropology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia
Red Deer and District Museum and Archives, Red Deer, Alberta
Toronto Board of Education Archives and Museum, Toronto, Ontario
Winnipeg Art Gallery, Winnipeg, Manitoba
HONOURS, ACHIEVEMENTS and EVENTS: 1984 Travelled to Tokyo to participate in an FCNQ sponsored exhibition held at the
Canadian Trade Centre.
1986 Visited Kisii, Kenya to participate in a cross-cultural
study of skills in artistic production and the marketing
of handicrafts sponsored by the International Development
Research Centre, Ottawa.
1986 Attended opening of solo exhibition held at The Guild Shop in Toronto. SELECTED REFERENCES:
MASTERS OF THE ARCTIC: An Exhibition of Contemporary Inuit
Masterworks. Ada, Michigan: Amway Corporation, 1989.
Canada. Indian and Northern Affairs
CANADIAN INUIT SCULPTURE. Ottawa: Inuit Art Section, 1992.
Craig, Mary
INUIT AND KENYAN ARTISTS SHARE EXPERIENCES. Inuit Art
Quarterly, vol. 2, no. 4, Fall, 1987. pp.10-11.
Eisemon, Thomas Owen
STORIES IN STONE = LA PIERRE RACONTE: Soapstone Sculptures from
Northern Quebec and Kenya = Sculptures de steatite du
Nouveau-Quebec et du Kenya. Ottawa: La Federation des
Cooperatives du Nouveau-Quebec and The Canadian Museum of
Civilization, 1988.
Inuit Gallery of Vancouver
ARCTIC QUEBEC SCULPTURE. Vancouver, B.C. : Inuit Gallery of
Vancouver, 1986.
Inuit Gallery of Vancouver
ARTISTS OF ARCTIC QUEBEC. Vancouver: Inuit Gallery of
Vancouver, 1983.
Musee des Beaux-Arts (Arras, France)
INUK, INUIT: Art et tradition chez les Esquimaux d'hier et
d'aujourd'hui. Arras, France: Musee des Beaux-Arts, 1987.
Noel, Michel
NUNAVIMIUT: ART INUIT = INUIT ART. Pointe-Claire, Quebec:
Roussan en collaboration avec l'Institut cultural AVATAQ, 1992
(Collection LE TAMBOUR).
Saucier, Celine
IMAGE INUIT DU NOUVEAU-QUEBEC: By Celine Saucier and Eugene
Kedl. Quebec: Musee de la Civilisation, 1988.
Winnipeg Art Gallery
SWINTON COLLECTION OF INUIT ART. Winnipeg Art Gallery, 1987.
(c) Inuit Art Section, INAC 1995 |
