bringing the outside inside
by Laura Meghan Smith
North of the Arctic Circle on the Canadian mainland lies the small, isolated community of Kugluktuk, Nunavut. Inside the outwardly unassuming Milukshuk Centre, owned by theKugluktuk Radio Society (KRS), is a beautiful and unique artwork with a Winnipeg connection—a mural by the Inuk painter John Allukpik, assisted by carver Lena Allukpik and Winnipeg visual artist Chantal Dupas. This impressive painting, created in 2009, is one of the largest in Nunavut and presents both a powerful visual spectacle and an interesting socialcommentary.1
At first glance, this untitled, naturalistic landscape painting depicting a group of Inuit people in the 1940s is a traditional scene. The small figures juxtaposed against the open landscape and enormous sky creates a sense of the enormity and seemingly infinite nature of the arctic environment. The smooth application of paint, in a cool palette, emphasizes the stillness and isolation of the surroundings and produces an almost otherworldly quality. Dupas watched many sunsets in Kugluktuk, trying to get the colours just right. The artwork contains standard arcticiconographical elements, such as igloos, snow, dog teams and traditional Inuk costumes. These are familiar symbols, the kind seen reproduced on greeting cards and calendars, but this work isanything but conventional. The mural is rendered on a grand scale, approximately 35 feet wideby 8 feet high, and LED lighting technology is integrated to create a rich sensory experience for the viewer.
John designed the mural to correspond to programmed sequences of coloured lighting. When illuminated, the piece produces dazzling visual effects that evoke the change of seasons, times ofday and even the theatrical Northern lights on the sparse, open tundra. The way the lighting interacts with the painting engages the viewer and immerses them in the work.
Dupas described her involvement in the project as “serendipitous” and expressed what a privilege and wonderful learning experience it was to work with John Allukpik, who is arespected and successful Nunavut artist. Dupas’s father was doing electrical work for the radio station when Mike Webster of the Kugluktuk Radio Society mentioned that he was looking for an artist to work with Allukpik. “We went back and forth by email, and if my memory serves me correctly, after about a year I was up there working on the mural,” Dupas explains. Lena Allukpik, a well-regarded carver and Allukpik ’s wife, took an advisory role in the creation ofthe painting, but the artwork is very much John Allukpik’s vision. As Dupas explains, “It’s acollection of stories from his life, a sort of memoir. I was simply there to help and share theexperience. It was important to me that it honour him.”
Dupas describes the process. “When John walked in he drew a horizon line and a sun and said, ‘Ok, we start tomorrow.’” In assisting him in realizing the project she learned a lot about his art-making. “His content always comes from his youth and as he painted he would reminisce and make up little stories between the characters, but it was never pre-planned, or not as far as I know.” Due to the language barrier between the two artists, they “communicated through broken English, drawings and simple facial expressions.” Dupas, who was a fine arts student at th eUniversity of Manitoba at the time of the project, learned a lot about painting from Allukpik. “He reminded me to have fun while painting, not to take myself too seriously and [that] I really do love to paint.” Despite their differences, Webster witnessed the strong connection the two artists shared, saying, “the language of high technical skill linked them.”
The Milukshuk Centre is much more than a typical radio station. It is a privately owned, community asset that operates as a multipurpose space. The KRS purchased the space in 2006 from the Kitkmeot Inuit Association through a combination of government funding and privatefundraising from a group of dedicated volunteers. It is used for gatherings and concerts and offers educational and cultural programming. With issues like substance abuse, mental health conditions and high unemployment rates plaguing many northern communities including Kugluktuk, it is increasingly important to provide community support. The KRS is making apositive impact in the community by celebrating the region’s strong cultural identity and promoting the reconnection with more traditional ways of living. It is helping to build a healthier community and a brighter outlook for Kugluktuk.
The KRS’s incorporation of local artwork to the interior design of the centre visually reinforces their mandate. John Allukpik’s mural contributes to the visitor’s experience of the space as awhole, as it creates a sense of welcoming and pride, and presents a distinct connection with Kugluktuk’s cultural identity. Dupas remembers, “There were some oohs and ahhs when peoplewalked in while we were painting.”
This mural is one component of a larger artistic program based on the concept of “bringing the outside inside.” The centre’s decor is composed of paintings, fabrics, carvings and other design elements that are linked to Kugluktuk's natural environment, which characterizes its history and culture. The walls are decorated with handcrafted crown molding and a “snow ceiling.” The ceiling replicates natural snow drifts. Therefore, if you know how to interpret snow, you are ableto orientate yourself inside the building by examining the snow patterns and finding the cardinal directions.
In the upper right corner of the painting, Allukpik painted a small snowmobile far off in thedistance. Webster related that Allukpik added this element at the end, saying it was a symbol ofthe future. This scene and the circumstances of its artistic creation are a synthesis of old and new cultures, styles, ideas and media. It is an important and distinctive project that speaks of the past and present of the community. These two people used their connection as artists to transcend barriers such as culture, language and age, and produced an enduring and meaningful artwork.Furthermore, the KRS should be acknowledged for supporting local artists and artisans, and integrating artwork in community and cultural-based initiatives.
Laura Meghan Smith (MFA Art History University of Manitoba, MA Courtauld Institute of Art) is a Winnipeg-based writer and art historian.
- Arctic Journal Issue Nov-Dec 2013/2 Above & Beyond