For the Inuit who occupy the northerly reaches of Canada, the land they inhabit has provided them with the means of survival for many generations. For them this is not a barren wilderness but rather a land that yields its bounty to skills and talents honed over the centuries. For the Inuit the land is rife with animals which traditionally they convinced, by one means or another, into sacrificing themselves so that the people might survive. The skills of observation, understanding and execution that the Inuit used in order to survive, have, over the past 50 or so years, been turned to the creation of sculpture, drawings and prints that extol those animals that have fed both the spirit and the flesh.

In the Abundant Land, we are pleased to present a marvelous range of examples of the sculptor's art. From the luscious varieties of stone from Baffin Island we have plump birds, fat and sassy seals and walrus as well as one of the Inuit's competitors for food, the polar bear. Bears are both feared and revered for their hunting skills and in the examples of the dancing bears, we see the moment at which the shaman has transformed him or herself into a spirit helper to aid in the successful hunt. All of the regions of Nunavut celebrate the creatures that live on the land and so we are delighted to have some of the almost whimsical creations from the Kitikmeot as well as those from the Kivaluq, where the sculpture has a rawer more elemental edge, perhaps reflecting the more reluctant way in which that particular region gives up its bounty.

We are pleased to include in this exhibition the work of many of the well established artists as well as to introduce some of the younger members of the various communities. We invite you to share in the Abundant Land.