The Iowa State community got a chance to peek into the lives of a community on the southern coast of Baffin Island Canada, and the art they created.

The Brunnier Art Museum hosted a showing of a short documentary film, Eskimo Artist: Kenojuak, Sunday afternoon. The short film was about Kenojuak Ashevak, the first Inuit woman involved with a printmaking co-operative in Cape Dorset, Canada. The film also showed how the Inuit became involved in printmaking art.

Printmaking was introduced to the Inuit in 1957 when James Houston, an artist and government administrator, and his wife travelled to the Arctic to explore ideas that could supplement Inuit incomes.

The short film was nominated for the 1963 Documentary Short Subject Oscar. The film was shown as part of an exhibit called Creative by Nature: The Bohan collection of Inuit Art. The exhibit displayed art created by the Inuit of South Baffin Island, Canada.

Kenojuak is possibly the most renowned Inuit artist. Today she is regarded as a Canadian treasure. The Film was directed by John Feeney, a New Zealand born director of documentary films.

When the film concluded, three panelists answered questions regarding the exhibit, the artistic influences of the Inuit people and the history of the Inuit art work. The three panelists were Sebastian Braun, director of American Indian studies at Iowa State; April Katz, visual cultural printmaking professor at Iowa State; and Adrienne Gennett, University Museums assistant curator.

A member of the audience asked what the difference was between Eskimo and Inuit. Braun answered that the basic difference between Inuit and Eskimo is that the Inuit are from Canada and Eskimos are from Alaska.

Gennett shared that the documentary was shot during spring. Since it was spring, there wasn’t much snow, so they had to make the igloo out of Styrofoam.

Katz mentioned that printmaking art was introduced to the Inuit because it was an easy art form, since many copies can be made using one mold.

The exhibit was donated by John L. and Ethel Margaret Bohen. According to the exhibit, the Bohens were avid collectors of Inuit art. The exhibit featured many pieces and relics from the Inuit including several from Kenojuak Ashevak.

The exhibit at Brunnier Art Museum will be open till the end of July.