The Acadia University Art Gallery is pleased to present Rock, Paper, Scissors: An Exploration of Inuit Art at Acadia, March 2 – April 20, 2012. There are over 250 works of Inuit sculpture in the permanent collection, the majority of which were donated by Acadia alumnus Dr. Arthur W. Rogers in c.1966.

The sculpture collection is very significant as it represents a key period in Inuit sculpture with works from the ‘historic’ period to the time when James Houston was helping to expand Inuit art production and purchasing works for the collector’s market for places like the Canadian Handicrafts Guild.

Another key component to the Inuit collection are over 50 works on paper, stonecuts, stencils and drawings. These works have been acquired through purchases from a special acquisitions endowment fund, made possible through the support of many, including Helen Beals and Constance Hayward, while other works have come from donors such as Ralph Taylor.

The exhibition present highlights of key works from the permanent collection and explores the works in the context of cross-cultural translation of art in the North. This exhibition marks the first time that the sculpture and prints have been researched in depth, and the first time many of them have been on public view at Acadia. A catalogue will accompany exhibit, made possible with support from Research and Graduate Studies.

The opening reception will be held on Friday March 2, 7 pm. There will also be a curator’s talk on April 11th, 2 pm. All events are free and open to the public. There is also the opportunity for school and community groups to book tours and hands-on workshops, facilitated by the Gallery Director.

Established in 1978 the Acadia University Art Gallery presents a year-round exhibition program of historical and contemporary art. The gallery is open Tuesdays-Sundays 12-4 pm.

For more information contact:
Acadia University Art Gallery
Tel: 902-585-1373
Email: artgallery@acadiau.ca
Web: http://gallery.acadiau.ca/