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Pinnguaq seeking Inuit artists to co-develop digital platform

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Courtney Milne, foreground, and Stefanie Kuzmiski, staff with the Pinnguaq Association work on a co-design project. photo courtesy of Pinnguaq Association

The Pinnguaq Association wants Nunavut-based Inuit artists to help co-design digital platforms to promote Inuit art in collaboration with Nordicity as part of its Inuit Art Distribution and Marketing initiative.

"We are looking to create a working group of approximately 15 artists who will be involved in the co-design of these platforms and throughout the lifetime of the project," said Maria Coates, Pinnguaq's director of development and special projects.

Each participating artist will receive an honorarium of $200 per workshop and will be recognized as co-designers and featured on the Pinnguaq website.

"The aim will be to create digital prototypes that will support artists in different ways. It is important that we work closely and collaboratively with artists to co-design what these platforms will look like."

Each participating artist will receive a free Artist Connectivity Kit which will include:

  • An internet access device
  • Internet service with four months prepaid internet for each project phase
  • A computer with the relevant software including Zoom, word-processing software and web browsers pre-downloaded
  • Additional materials such as worksheets, notebooks, pencils and erasers
  • Instructions on how to connect to the internet and how to attend online works

Pinnguaq's goal is to help increase the discoverability and distribution of Inuit artists.

"We hope to work collaboratively with artists to address some of the issues and challenges in the Inuit arts ecosystem through the development of digital platforms.

"We are looking to examine how we can create and use digital platforms to better support Inuit art," Coates said.

How to get involved

The Pinnguaq Association is a Pangnirtung-based not-for-profit organization which started in 2012 that incorporates STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) and is focused on bringing experiences in education and development for rural and remote communities across Canada.

Nunavut-based Inuit artists who are interested in taking part in this can reach out to Pinnguaq at courtney@pinnguaq.com or they can call 1-705-879-5761.

Interested artists are asked to provide their name, community and short description of their artistic practice and mediums in which they work in.