Thank you for your support

As I look back on 2022, I am struck by the wonderful programs, exhibitions, and connections that were made possible here at the Gallery thanks to your support. Every dollar creates an immediate impact in the lives of those who come to WAG-Qaumajuq every day. I’d like to share a few of these initiatives with you today.

Couzyn Van Heuvelen. Sealskin Rug. Photo by: David Lipnowski.

In 2022, your gifts made it possible for WAG-Qaumajuq to acquire Sealskin Rug, by Couzyn van Heuvelen. This hand-loomed wool rug is an important artwork from INUA, the inaugural exhibition of Qaumajuq. Van Heuvelen’s Sealskin Rug speaks to the Inuit relationship with seals and sealskin. The artwork’s comforting materials make reference to home, and its exaggerated size make it welcoming for a whole family or community. This is an important acquisition for WAG-Qaumajuq as it goes towards supporting an emerging, contemporary Inuit artist, whose unconventional arts practice pushes the boundaries of what Inuit art is.

In the spring, you heard from our WAG Studio team, as we asked for support to create a year-round exhibition space for children’s art at the Gallery. The response was overwhelming. Together, you gave more than $20,000 to help create a space to foster the next generation of artists, curators, and educators. As you read this letter, Through the Eyes of a Child is finalizing its installation outside of the Studio, on the fourth floor of WAG-Qaumajuq. I invite you to visit this exhibition that you helped to build for our city’s young artists when it opens in early 2023. Let us know if you’re coming, we would love to tour you through.

This summer, we were pleased to bring back Nakatamaakewin, our mobile art exhibition. Nakatamaakewin travelled more than 2,300 kilometers and shared Inuit art with over 5,000 people outside the Gallery’s walls. Each visitor was able to experience a personal tour from a WAG-Qaumajuq guide at stops all over Manitoba. Because Nakatamaakewin is accessible to those who use mobility aids, more Manitobans were able to enjoy the work with dignity and comfort.

This year, your support allowed us to reach more than 7,000 youth in-person and virtually through school tours. In September, a special virtual session took place with Jimmy Hikok Iliakvik School in Kugluktuk. During this session, our educators shared an artwork by Peggy Ekagina titled Female Muskox Shaman. One of the teachers shared that the artist was a close friend of her family and spoke about how kind and caring she was, and how these values could be felt in her artwork. Students then created their own muskox drawings, inspired by Ekagina’s kindness. Virtual sessions with northern communities allow the Gallery to find connections between artworks from the collection and their communities of origin.

These are just a few examples of the many exhibitions and programs WAG-Qaumajuq was able to offer to more than 80,000 visitors who accessed the Gallery this year, in-person and online. Because of you, we supported emerging artists, delivered curriculum-based arts programming for kids and youth, and connected with communities across Manitoba.

When you give a gift to WAG-Qaumajuq, your donation offers others the experience of arts education, and helps to create a welcoming and vibrant space in the heart of downtown.

As you make your year-end gifts, I hope you will consider WAG-Qaumajuq. Gifts and memberships of every size make an immediate difference now and for the year ahead. Thank you for making 2022 an incredible year. I am looking forward to what we can accomplish together in 2023.

Yours sincerely,

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