Circumpolar Perspectives Highlighted in Canada Council Art Bank Series

In September 2026, the Canada Council for the Arts released a series titled "Circumpolar Perspectives: Artists in the Art Bank Collection." This series was part of the Council’s activities around its participation in the 2026 Arctic Arts Summit. The Arctic Arts Summit is an international symposium that showcases the arts and culture of artists based in the circumpolar region. It is described as the only cultural forum at the intersection of Arctic arts, culture, policy, and research. The 2026 summit took place in June in Ubmeje/Umeå, Sweden.

As part of the Council’s involvement in the summit, three contributors were invited to write articles for a short series. These articles highlight artists based in the circumpolar region of Canada whose work is included in the Canada Council Art Bank collection. The series aims to contribute to the broader conversation about northern arts communities and their development.

The first article in the series was written by Dineh visual artist and curator Teresa Vander Meer-Chassé. She is a proud Niisüü member of the White River First Nation of Beaver Creek, Yukon. In her article, Vander Meer-Chassé provides insight into works by Yukon-based artists Doug Smarch, Jr., Krystle Silverfox, Marten Berkman, and Nicole Bauberger.

The second article was contributed by Priscilla Boulay, a third-generation Inuvialuk carver and jewellery maker originally from Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories. Boulay offers a contemplation on art from the North as she discusses artwork by Northwest Territories-based artists Levi MacDonald, Martine Kotchea, Robert Kussy, Miriam (Nanurluk) Qiyuk, and Kablusiak.

The third article in the series was written by Inuk artist, curator, and educator Heather Campbell, who hails from Rigolet, Newfoundland and Labrador. Campbell explores works depicting the qamutiik, a traditional Inuit sled, by artists from Nunavut, Nunavik (northern Quebec), and Nunatsiavut (northern Labrador), including Joe Talirunili, Janet Kigusiuq, Etidlooie Etidlooie, and Eldred Allen.

The Arctic Arts Summit brought together artists, cultural workers, and partners from Arctic countries. The summit’s goal was to strengthen northern arts communities and support the infrastructures and partnerships that help circumpolar arts develop. The Canada Council Art Bank series contributes to this wider conversation by highlighting artists from the circumpolar region of Canada whose works are part of the national collection.

Additionally, the series sits alongside the Canada Council for the Arts’ renewed co-delivery model partnerships with the Government of Yukon, the Government of the Northwest Territories, and the Inuit Art Foundation. These partnerships are designed to increase access to arts funding, strengthen local arts ecosystems, and support community-driven approaches to cultural development.