A groundbreaking assemblage of Indigenous circumpolar art is currently on display at the National Gallery of Canada (NGC) in Ottawa, ON, for Qillaniq (2026), an exhibition that examines land, identity, community, and cultural continuity through contemporary art. Co-curated by an all-Indigenous team that included Ooleepeeka Eegeesiak, Liisa-Rávná Finbog (Rámavuol Liisa-Rávdná), Nadia Jackinsky-Sethi, Taqralik Partridge, Jocelyn Piirainen, and Laakkuluk Williamson and bringing together over 70 Indigenous artists from Alaska, Kalaallit Nunaat (Greenland), Sápmi, and Canada, the exhibition offers a rare cross-cultural survey of Indigenous artistic practices spanning the Arctic. The exhibition foregrounds artists whose work reflects enduring relationships with the land while confronting the realities of climate change, colonialism, and industrial development. But Qillaniq—an Inuktitut word that describes how light from the sun or the moon shimmers brightly when reflecting on water—refuses to paint a bleak image. Instead, it presents a practice of radical joy that celebrates artists who challenge colonial institutions, imagine new possibilities for their communities, and respond to adversity with creativity, resilience, and love.
A major highlight is the North American debut of Máret Ánne Sara’s reindeer skull installation Pile o’Sápmi Supreme (2017), a powerful work addressing Sámi rights. The exhibition also debuts eight works commissioned specifically for Qillaniq.
A centrepiece of the exhibition is a reimagined qaggiq, or gathering space; traditionally a large iglu, Inuk artist asinnajaq and Métis architect Tiffany Shaw have transformed it into a giant woven basket. It offers a welcoming space where visitors can rest and/pr engage with the provided films and books.
Alianait Arts Festival Returned to Iqaluit
The Alianait Arts Festival ran from June 18–21 in Iqaluit, NU, coinciding with National Indigenous Peoples Day. Since its first rendition in 2005, the festival has grown into a celebrated showcase of Inuit and other circumpolar artists, featuring everything from music and dance to film, storytelling, circus arts, and visual art. Through family-friendly events and partnerships with local schools and organizations, the festival aims to create opportunities for artistic expression, community connection, and youth engagement. This year’s theme was Pisiit/Ayaya, a form of Inuit music that includes chant-like songs of survival, joy, resilience, and healing. The line-up included Inuk singer-songwriter Beatrice Deer, from Nunavik; Hildá Länsman and Tuomas Norvio, a duo from Sápmi; and rock and hip-hop musician Jacob Okatsiak, from Arviat, NU.
The first night of the festival included screenings at the Astro Theatre of Unikkaat Sivunittinnit (Messages From the Past) (2012) co-directed by Zacharias Kunuk, OC, ONu, LLD, and Paul Quassa; a work-in-progress documentary on Pisiit by Charlotte Qamaniq; and documentary Erfalasorput (Our Flag) (2026) by Johannes Ujo Müller. Community events included a craft fair, a free workout with Beatrice Deer, and a seal-skinning competition.
Summer Solstice Indigenous Festival Celebrated in Ottawa
The annual Summer Solstice Indigenous Festival took place in Ottawa on June 20 and 21. It is an annual multidisciplinary celebration of Indigenous arts, culture, and knowledge. The festival brings together artists, performers, educators, students, and community members from across Canada to experience, celebrate, and learn from the cultures and contributions of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples.
This year, Inuit throat singers Siqiniup Qilauta (Sunsdrum) performed both days. The duo includes Lynda Brown and her daughter, Keely (Papatsie) Nicholson, who have roots in Panniqtuuq, NU
Two Inuit chefs—Trudy Metcalfe-Coe, from Nain, Nunatsiavut, NL, and her mentee Sierra Conboy from Kuujjuaq, Nunavik, QC—took part in the festival’s immersive culinary experience, offering elevated bites, traditional tea, and live cooking. Metcalfe-Coe has been sharing Inuit country food with Ottawa audiences for over 30 years.
The festival also included a series of Inuit games led by Aalla/Stranger, an Inuk father and cultural educator based in Ottawa.
Taqralik Partridge Longlisted for the Hnatyshyn Foundation Mid-Career Award for Curatorial Excellence
Nunavik writer, artist, and curator Taqralik Partridge has been longlisted for the 2026 Hnatyshyn Foundation Mid-Career Award for Curatorial Excellence. Currently Executive Director of Aaqsiiq Theatre in Kuujjuaq, Partridge has held positions as the Director of Communications and Publications at the Avataq Cultural Institute in Montreal, QC; Associate Curator of Indigenous Art at the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto; and founding Director of the Nordic Lab at SAW Gallery in Ottawa. Her recent curatorial projects include: Qillaniq—co-curated with five other Indigenous curators—at the NGC, Laakkuluk Williamson’s travelling solo exhibition Nuliaminik Neqilik (The Flesh of Wives) (2026), and Alakkaajut (Many Things Appear) (2021) at SAW Gallery.
The Hnatyshyn Foundation’s Mid-Career Awards are presented annually to Canadian artists and curators in recognition of their exceptional achievements and potential to further contribute to the future of Canadian art. The $20,000 Mid-Career Award for Curatorial Excellence honours a mid-career contemporary visual arts curator whose work has significantly advanced the field in Canada. Dr. Heather Igloliorte, Inuk curator and past president of the Inuit Art Foundation’s Board of Directors, won the award in 2021. The shortlist for the award will be announced on July 15.
Nearly 200 Inuit Artworks Gifted to Support Research at Macalester and St. Olaf Colleges
The Associated Colleges of the Midwest (ACM) distributed nearly 200 works of Inuit art from late collector Robert C. Leestma’s collection between Macalester College and St. Olaf College. Leestma’s estate included a bequest to support the study and research of Inuit culture by donating his art collection. The collection includes prints, sculptures, and drawings—most of which were created by artists from Kinngait, NU, such as Qavavau Manumie and Mayoreak Ashoona, RCA (1946–2026).
Macalester College received nearly 130 works—the institution's first Inuit holdings—while St. Olaf College acquired more than 60 prints and 2 sculptures. Curators at both colleges say the collection will strengthen Indigenous art programming, expand opportunities for object-based learning, and support exhibitions, research, and teaching. The two institutions have coordinated their holdings so that St. Olaf's collection focuses on Kinngait, while Macalester College's represents the broader circumpolar North. At Macalester College, the collection will also bolster the college's Native and Indigenous Initiative, with plans to engage Inuit artists living in the Twin Cities.
North of North Wins Nine Awards at the 2026 Canadian Screen Awards
Inuit comedy series North of North (2025–ongoing) emerged as one of the biggest winners at the 2026 Canadian Screen Awards, taking home nine trophies, including Best Comedy Series. Created by Alethea Arnaquq-Baril and Stacey Aglok MacDonald, the series follows Siaja, a young Inuk woman who upends her life in search of a new path in her Arctic community.
The show also won awards for lead performer (Anna Lambe), direction (Zoe Hopkins), writing (Arnaquq-Baril and Aglok MacDonald), supporting actor (Maika Harper), guest performer (Tanya Tagaq, CM), ensemble performance, original music, and hair design.
Inuit Drum Dancers Perform at FIFA World Cup Opening Ceremony in Toronto
Inuit drum dancers Barbara Akoak and Rhea Muckpah-Gavin represented Inuit Nunangat before a global audience during the opening ceremony of the FIFA World Cup in Toronto, ON, performing alongside 30 First Nations and Métis drummers and dancers at BMO Field. The ceremony was witnessed by more than 43,000 spectators in the stadium and an estimated four million television viewers.
Both performers wore handcrafted Inuit regalia reflecting their family and regional traditions. Akoak wore a floral-print atikluk (traditional hooded overshirt) sewn by her mother, Annie Akoak, kamiit (boots) made by her relative Grace Poirier, and a copper qaurutik (headband) that she crafted herself.
Muckpah-Gavin wore an attigi (parka) gifted to her by Akoak, kamiit made by her late grandmother, Elisapee Muckpah, and a beaded qaurutik of her own design. Both women performed using a traditional qilautik (drum) and katuutik (drumstick) made by David Serkoak.
Check Out Some Recent IAQ Profiles!
The IAQ editorial team has created some new artist profiles. Sarah Ayaqi Whalen-Lunn is an Iñupiaq multidisciplinary artist, based in Calgary, AB, whose mediums include printmaking, tattooing, painting, and jewellery. Olivia Kate Iatridis is an Inuvialuk actor and painter based in Vancouver, BC. Be sure to check out their works!