Singing Inuit Child

Provenance:
Kootenay School of Art Collection, Nelson, BC,

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Private collection, Nelson, BC

Literature:
British Columbia. Dept. of Education, Annual Report of the Public Schools, Vol. 94-96, p. 91.

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Santos Mignosa, “Kootenays”, Western Potter, No. 8, 1967, p. 12-13
Notes:
Makituk Pingwartuk moved from Kingait to Nelson, BC sometime in the late 1960s, where she attended the Kootenay School of Art. Here, she learned the craft under Walter Dexter, one of Canada’s outstanding potters.

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In 1967, three works by Makituk were entered in the International Exhibition of Ceramics in Florence, Italy. The provincial Department of Education notes, “The Kootenay School of Art gained further recognition and awards by having all its ceramics entries accepted for exhibition at the International Exhibition in Faenza, Italy, with Lydia Makituk Pingwartuk being awarded third prize and the school receiving a silver medal for its entry.”

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In 1967, one of Makituk’s enthusiastic instructors commented, “Meesa and Makituk, the young Eskimo artists attending the Kootenay School of Art, have just completed their three months course in Ceramics. During this time, they have displayed tremendous facility in handling most of the ceramic processes taught at our School, including kiln loading and maintenance. Together, they have produced over 100 pieces including a number of large ones — these being Eskimo figurines of people and animals, utilitarian and hand built pots. … Meesa and Makituk will be returning to Nelson next year to complete a full year’s study in Ceramics.”