Can't Find Your Eskimo Inuit Art Sculpture?

If you have been browsing around galleries (both street and online) and can't find exactly what you are looking for in an Eskimo Inuit art sculpture, contact Free Spirit Gallery Inuit Art as we may be able to help you find that special piece for you. Recently, a customer in Ontario, Canada e-mailed us and wanted a special Eskimo Inuit art sculpture to give to a friend as a retirement gift. It was known that his friend liked Eskimo Inuit art so buying a piece that wasn't authentic was out of the question! There's wasn't any piece currently stocked on the Free Spirit Gallery website or on any other site that matched what he was looking for and at an acceptable price range. So we took his requirements which was a family oriented theme preferably with a mother and child along with his maximum budget in mind and went searching on his behalf. Free Spirit Gallery has several sources of Eskimo Inuit art sculpture so we are able to access many different pieces in all sizes and price ranges even if we don't currently stock your desired piece on our website.

We found about nine different suitable pieces and e-mailed photos to our customer along with the dimensions and prices. Our customer settled on the Eskimo Inuit art sculpture of a female drum dancer with her baby on her back shown below although it was one of three pieces that he thought would have been suitable. A secured payment page was set up on our website for this customer although it was also possible for him to call us with his credit card information too. We retrieved that special piece and promptly shipped it off to Ontario. Another happy customer in the end!

So if you are ever in a situation where you just can't find that special piece even after browsing through our varied selection online of Eskimo Inuit art sculptures, let us know as we may be able to help you in your search.

Miss Native American Pacific Northwest

The winner of the Miss Native American Pacific Northwest Pageant held at the Chinook Winds Casino was Drew Johnson of Pendleton, a member of the Umatilla tribe. She certainly will be a role model for the Native American youth. Maybe she will be a spokesperson for the Pacific Northwest Native American art of her people and others in the region. See Drew's photo.

Inuit Sculptures of Polar Bears New Arrivals!

I have just added four Inuit sculptures of polar bears including a standing polar bear sculpture as new arrivals at Free Spirit Gallery. These new polar bear Inuit sculptures are all within the $200 to $300 US price range so they are all very reasonably priced. These represent my commitment to keep prices of all Inuit art at Free Spirit Gallery at 20 to 50% lower than street galleries. Check them out soon.

The Packing of Inuit Sculptures for Overseas Shipping

I recently shipped a few Inuit sculptures overseas to England and France including a large Inuit sculpture of a polar bear with a seal in its mouth. The customers in Europe reported that all Inuit sculptures arrived safely. All Inuit sculptures as well as Northwest Indian carvings shipped from Free Spirit Gallery are securely packed for shipping. In fact, they are overpacked with the large size bubble wrap and further floated within boxes with filler material. An example of how an Inuit sculpture is wrapped is shown below. More information is available at Packing & Shipping. Of course, for no risk purchasing at Free Spirit Gallery and everyone's peace of mind, all shipments are fully insured.

Another Eskimo Sculpture of Seals Added

I have added another Eskimo sculpture to the seals category of Free Spirit Gallery. This is a 5 inch long Eskimo art sculpture of two seals on a rock. See more details and images at the Eskimo Sculptures - Seals section.

New Eskimo Art Carving of Loon Bird Added

I have added a rare presentation of an Eskimo Art carving of a loon bird with her baby on her back. The detail is amazing on this Eskimo carving which is 4 1/2 inches in length. See more details and images at the Other Eskimo Carvings section of the Free Spirit Gallery website.

Drum Dancer Inuit Sculpture by Johnnylee Nooveya

Johnnylee Nooveya is one of the best carvers of polar bear Inuit sculptures in the Canadian Arctic. This Iqaluit, Nunavut based Inuit carver also happens to be able to carve some really nice walruses and people as well. One fine example is the female drum dancer Inuit sculpture shown below. It is 7 inches tall and one of a few Inuit sculptures by Johnnylee Nooveya that is currently available for sale.

For more information on the cultural aspect, see the Inuit Drum Dancing article.

American Indian Art Magazine

One of the nicest magazines covering Native American art is American Indian Art magazine. If covers some of the best collections of Native American Indian art and has been known to include Eskimo Inuit art occasionally. The articles and photos are top notch and there is even a section on recent auction prices of collector pieces.

For exquisite American Indian art available online, see Free Spirit Gallery American Indian Art.

Inuit Artist Kenojuak Ashevak

As some of you already know from the Inuit Art Coin article on the Free Spirit Gallery website, Kenojuak Ashevak was the Inuit artist who designed a Canadian 25 cent quarter coin. She is one of the highest internationally regarded of all Inuit artists. There are two articles on Kenojuak in the current spring issue of Inuit Art Quarterly. She was also the designer for a church stained glass in southern Ontario and one of these articles describes the experience of this particular project. As one can see from her art prints and the design on the Canadian coin as well as the stained glass, the Inuit art of Kenojuak Ashevak is actually quite distinctive.

Inuit Art Foundation

The Inuit Art Foundation is a non-profit organization governed by a board of Inuit artists. The foundation's mission is to assist Inuit artists in the development of their professional skills, the marketing of their art and to help promote Inuit art. The Inuit Art Foundation, based in Ottawa, is funded by the Canadian government, private agencies and individuals. Their publication, Inuit Art Quarterly, is the only magazine that is dedicated solely to Inuit art. Free Spirit Gallery Inuit Art is a supporter as a regular advertiser of Inuit Art Quarterly. One of the aims of the Inuit & Native Art Bulletin is to be an online complementary source of information on Inuit art to the Inuit Art Quarterly.

Inuit Art & Northwest Indian Art Customer Testimonials

I have just completed a new page on the Free Spirit Gallery website on testimonials I have received from some of our many satisfied customers worldwide who have ordered Inuit art and Northwest Indian art from us. These are customers from the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and France. See what these fine art collectors are saying at Inuit Art & Northwest Indian Art Customers.

Germaine Arnaktauyok Inuit Art Coin

Since the posting of the Arctic Inuit Art On Coins article, I have been asked whether Free Spirit Gallery Inuit Art sells these coins or not, particularly the Inuit drum dancer coin commemorating the creation of Nunavut by Germaine Arnaktauyok . Our online gallery doesn't deal with coins but I have seen some of these Inuit art coins as well as Canadian Native art coins for sale on websites that specialize in collector coins. The Royal Canadian Mint is the original source of all these Canadian coins so they would also be a logical contact.

The 1999 $2 Canadian coin with Germaine's design is actually quite common up here in Canada as it is widely circulated. I currently have a few in my pocket change right now. Visitors to Canada should really have little problems getting one while they are up here during shopping as receiving one in change would be very likely especially during an stay of several days. This particular coin is shown below.

More Eskimo Art and Native Canadian Coins

I actually found a few more Canadian currency coins that featured Eskimo art and Native Canadian art. I have since added them to the Eskimo Art In Coins and Native Canadian Art In Coins articles.

Canadian Aboriginal Art Dance Group To Perform In Europe

Canadian aboriginal art dance group the Dakwäkäda Dancers from the Yukon Territory was formed by four sisters 8 years ago. They are the granddaughters of Annie Ned, the late Yukon Elder who taught the dances, songs, and traditional way of life learned during her childhood. The Dakwäkäda Dancers have performed their brand of Canadian aboriginal art form of dance at many events. This summer, the Dakwäkäda Dancers will perform at the Sumperk Festival in the Czech Republic in Europe.

For other forms of authentic art, see Free Spirit Gallery Canadian Aboriginal Art.

Native American Art Train

Founded in 1971, Artrain USA is America’s only traveling art museum on a train and it has announced its 15th exhibition called "Native Views: Influences of Modern Culture", a contemporary Native American art exhibition. Traveling the country with the support of America's railroads, five rail cars house the Native American fine arts exhibition, artist studio, gift shop and staff administrative space. Since its inception, Artrain USA has stopped in more than 700 cities in 44 states and welcomed more than 3,000,000 people. For more details, see www.ArtrainUSA.org

See Free Spirit Gallery Native American Art for authentic works with prices 20 to 50% lower than street galleries.

Eskimo Teen Wins Snowboard Championships

Callan Chythlook-Sifsof, a 15 year old Eskimo native from Alaska has won the Junior Olympic Snowboard Championships in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The Yupik Eskimo teen is now competing in the 2005 Junior World Championships in Switzerland. Former Olympic skiier Suzie Chafee, who supports native ski teams, supports a remark made by Tex Hall, president of the National Congress of American Indians: "Indian youth sports opportunities are the answer." As an example of this success, officials point to Arizona's White Mountain Apache tribes. They opened two ski resorts three decades ago, and the slopes has done wonders their tribes and their people. "It had everything to do with skiing,” said Chairman Dallas Massey. "Skiing is the number one motivate of our youth [then rodeo], and prevents alcohol abuse if we can reach our children early enough." The Squamish Nation of BC Canada have also started snowboard and skiing programs of their own with the local ski resorts.

See Free Spirit Gallery Eskimo Art for treasures from the north.

Poor Harvest For Popular Subject Of Northwest Indian Art

The salmon fish is a popular subject in Northwest Indian art since it has been one of the main food sources for the Northwest Indian tribes for centuries. However, the tens of thousands of adult Chinook salmon that were expected to swim up the Columbia River this spring are missing. The numbers are so bad that Idaho, Oregon and Washington states have all ended commercial fishing. The four Northwest Indian tribes with treaty rights to harvest the salmon have also ended fishing. Most environmentalists are convinced that federal dams are causing this problem. The slow moving, sometimes overheated reservoirs behind the dams confuse the salmon, who usually breed in fast, cold currents. The dam machinery can also be lethal, particularly to outbound juvenile fish. "We need to figure out what happened," said Charles Hudson of the intertribal commission. "But there is no question that year in and year out, the hydro system is the biggest killer of fish." See Northwest Indian art salmons for examples of carvings of this fish.

Subjects of Northwest Native American Art Returning To Mt St Helen

Mt. St. Helens erupted 25 years ago which resulted in the devastating volcano blast killing 57 people and an overwhelming amount of plant and animal life. Many of these animals were significant in the region's Northwest Native American art. As the blast destroyed everything in its path, it also carried seedlings from the south side which landed and began to grow over time. More seeds continued to arrive via animals returning to the area. Today, the once-barren landscape is scattered with green and diverse wildlife in a much different habitat than before. "There was nothing out here. It's easy to forget it was like that," said Peter Frenzen, scientist for the U.S. Forest Service. "The next forest is essentially here. We just have to wait for it all to grow up."

Different trees are growing in the blast zone and about 130 new ponds have been created providing a new habitat for amphibian life. Larger animals such as elk, bears and mountain goats have returned. Bears are especially significant since the Northwest Native Americans connect the bear to the land (see the article Northwest Native American Art Bear). About 70 species of bird have also been drawn into the new habitat. This includes hummingbirds, another popular subject of Northwest Native American Art (see the hummingbird carving in Free Spirit Gallery eCards).

Inupiat Eskimos Cope With Daylight Patterns

The majority of the residents in Barrow, Alaska are Inupiat Eskimos who cope with some of the strangest daylight patterns in the world. After a 1:50 am sunset on May 9, the sun rose again at 2:56 am. Barrow now faces constant daylight 24 hours per day until the next sunset on August 2. This may mean that the local artisans could produce their Eskimo art any time of day.

“Some people are just used to it because it happens every year," said resident Earl Finkler. "But there was one fellow ... who said that you could put foil over your windows to sleep, but if you get up in the middle of the night the sun hits you and it keeps you up. Other people say it energizes them, especially for subsistence hunting and whaling.” Barrow, a town of 4,500 people, is about 330 miles above the Arctic Circle. From November 18 straight to January 24, residents in Barrow do not see the sun at all.

I experienced a bit of this pattern during one of my trips up to Iqaluit in Nunavut last year. There was only 3 hours of darkness each day and it was most strange walking around town at 10:30 pm in complete daylight. It's a good thing that the curtains in my hotel room were quite thick.

To see exquisite art from the north, see Free Spirit Gallery Eskimo Art.

Nunavut Inuit Kids Have Nothing To Do After School

Tagak Curley, a representative from Rankin Inlet in the Canadian territory of Nunavut, says students often have nothing to do after school, and with summer approaching, they'll soon have a lot of time on their hands. That can lead to alcohol abuse and kids getting into trouble. "Teenage people are getting so bored, they just start drinking, doing drugs for the fun of it because they have nothing to do," he says. Curley called on the education minister of Nunavut to make school buildings available, and for more volunteers to help with supervision. "Many of students are asking for youth centres but I believe we have enough local facilities if we could all work together to make schools a little more actively used for after school stuff." Nunavut in Canada's Arctic region has one of the youngest populations in Canada with 60% under age 25. Rankin Inlet incidently is where Jordon Tootoo of the National Hockey League's Nashville Predators comes from.

It seems to me that this is an excellent opportunity to develop programs where the Nunavut Inuit kids can learn more about their own Inuit culture including learning how to do Inuit art. There have been interest among some of the Inuit youth to help bring back some of the traditional Inuit culture.

To see authentic artwork from Nunavut, see Free Spirit Gallery Inuit Carvings.

West Coast Native Art On Canadian Coins

A sister article to the one on Inuit art coins has just been posted at the Free Spirit Gallery website. This one features West Coast Native art on Canadian Coins. Native Canadian art has been important in the overall culture of Canada. West Coast Native artists like Robert Davidson, Wade Baker and Jason Read have all contributed Native Canadian art designs for currency coins of Canada. Coins featuring West Coast Native art and Inuit art were produced by the Royal Canadian Mint which issues all of Canada's coin currency.

For authentic Native Canadian artwork, see Free Spirit Gallery West Coast Native Art where prices are 20 to 50% lower than street retail.

Arctic Inuit Art On Canadian Coins

In recent years, Canada has issued Canadian coins featuring designs of Inuit art including owls, polar bears, Inuit inukshuk and an Inuit drum dancer. I have just posted a new article describing such Canadian coins at the Free Spirit Gallery website. See the latest article Arctic Inuit Art On Canadian Coins.

Of course for real authentic artwork, see Free Spirit Gallery Inuit Art for savings of 20 to 50% off compared to street galleries.

New Book About Old Eskimo Art & Artifacts Collection

In 1997, a group of Yup'ik Eskimo elders from Alaska traveled to Germany to view Eskimo art and other cultural items collected during the 1880s by Norwegian traveller Johan Adrian Jacobsen. Jacobson had spent a year in Alaska and the Eskimo art he collected ended up in the Ethnologisches Museum in Berlin. The observations and explanations of the Eskimo art and artifacts by these elders are recorded in a new book called "Ciuliamta Akluit / Things of Our Ancestors: Yup'ik Elders Explore the Jacobsen Collection at the Ethnologisches Museum Berlin" This 448 page paperback book contains 66 photographs. The text is in both English and the Eskimo Yup'ik language which was translated by Marie Meade, an Eskimo native living and teaching in Alaska. The Eskimo Yup'ik elders share the stories and experiences embodied in the Eskimo art and artifacts reclaiming knowledge that was on the verge of being lost forever. Among the Eskimo art and cultural items covered in the book are tools for ocean hunting, bows and arrows, things made out of wood, containers, household tools, Eskimo art jewelry, figures, dance regalia, Eskimo art masks, toys, games, clothing and other Eskimo art designs used for ceremonies. for more information about this book, see http://www.washington.edu/uwpress/search/books/FIETHI.html

For more contemporary artwork and numerous information resource articles, see Free Spirit Gallery Eskimo Art.

Northwest Native Indian Art Part Of Canoe Journey

The Northwest Native Indian tribe in Washington state known as the Lower Elwha Klallam will host the 2005 Canoe Journey, drawing handcrafted canoes with Northwest Native Indian art from as far away as the Aleutian Islands. Eighty canoes supported by 8,000 Native Americans will land along the Port Angeles waterfront on August 1, 2005, for the six-day event. Tse-whit-zen, the ancestral Klallam village where Northwest Native Indian art and artifacts date back 2,700 years, will be the focus of the event. Tse-whit-zen will give young Native Americans who make the journey a touchstone for their cultural past and present. "It's also a healing process,'' said Tribal Chairwoman Frances Charles. "It's all about the youth.''

For more images of this wonderful form of Native American art, see Northwest Native Indian Art.

Also see the article My Introduction to Northwest Native Indian Art.

Shipping Inuit Art From Montreal Quebec Canada

Shipping authentic Inuit art from Montreal, Quebec in Canada to other destinations worldwide is not a problem. Free Spirit Gallery, based in Montreal in the Canadian province of Quebec, has shipped Inuit art as well as Pacific Northwest Native Indian art safely worldwide including all over the United States, England, Scotland, France and Germany. Shipping Inuit art to the United States is duty free. Usually, most shipments are done through expedited delivery via the postal service. Shipping to Europe takes about 4 to 5 business days. An Inuit sculpture of a polar bear was recently shipped to England in 5 business days. Shipping to the northeastern US takes about 5 to 6 business days while delivery across the continent to points in the US west coast takes about 9 to 12 business days. Shipping Inuit art to say California from Montreal is generally not a problem as pieces are well packed (see shipping and packing of Inuit art)

Inuit art shipped to neighbouring Canadian provinces such as Ontario from Montreal is very fast taking 1 to 2 business days. Vancouver is reached in about 3 to 4 business days with the postal service we use. For both consumer and corporate customers located in the general Montreal area, Inuit art from Free Spirit Gallery is delivered in person.

New Muskox Inuit Carvings (Musk Ox)

I acquired three new muskox (musk ox) Inuit carvings of different sizes this past week. They were all carved by Billy Nutaraq of Inukjuak, Nunavik. These particular Inuit carvings muskox are very different from the ones I've seen from other parts of the Canadian Arctic. These muskox are more abstract but they are quite interesting and cute. I have posted two of them on the Free Spirit Gallery Other Inuit Carvings section. There are several shots of these very unique muskox Inuit carvings on the website (one is shown below).

New Inuit Inukshuk Carvings From Arctic Added

I have just received some new Inuit inukshuk carvings from the Canadian Arctic and have added them to the Other Inuit Carvings section of the Free Spirit Gallery website. These are larger Inuit inukshuk carvings than the ones I had stocked before so I'm quite excited about them. An image of one of them is below. Check them out.

For more background information this Inuit symbol of the Arctic north, see the Inuit Inukshuk article.

Holman Inuit Art Prints

Holman is one of the top two major Inuit art print centres in Nunavut Canada with the other one of course being Cape Dorset. Holman is also one of the most established communities producing Inuit art prints since the Arctic region started this medium of art (see the article Birth of Inuit Art Prints for more information). Like Cape Dorset, Holman releases a series of limited edition Inuit art prints each year. When one compares the artwork between the two centres, one can see the differences in artistic style between them. This may not be surprising since if one looks at a Canadian Arctic map, the two Inuit communities are quite far from each other.

Below is an example of an Inuit art print from Holman. It is by Peter Aliknak and more images are currently available at Free Spirit Gallery's Inuit Art Prints section.

New Article on Pacific Northwest Coast Art Orca Killer Whale

Just posted on the Free Spirit Gallery website a new article on the Killer Whale as featured on Pacific Northwest Coast Indian art. The killer whale is a symbol of romance and longevity. It is one of the most popular subjects among the Northwest Coast Indian artists. See the article The Orca Killer Whale In Pacific Northwest Coast Art.

For magnificent Pacific Northwest Coast art featuring killer whale carvings, see Free Spirit Gallery Northwest Native Art Killer Whales.

Polar Bear With Seal Inuit Art Carving eCard

Some of the most striking Inuit art carvings are the polar bears with some sort of prey in their mouths. Sometimes the prey are fish while others can be seals. Here is a nice example of a polar bear with a seal by Lyta Josephie of Iqaluit, Nunavut. Notice that the polar bear and the seal are two different colors of stone. This is very eye catching. This particular Inuit art carving is 10 inches long and 4 1/2 inches high. It is being shipped to a lucky customer in England this week. However, the rest of us can still enjoy it as it is featured as one of the Free Spirit Gallery eCards of Inuit Art that can be accessed anytime free of charge. Considering sending a message or greeting with this eCard or any of the 16 eCards available.

New Northwest Native Canadian Art Eagle Carving

I have added a new Northwest Native Canadian art eagle carving by master carver Cody Mathias to the Free Spirit Gallery website. You can see this new carving (nea-13) on the Northwest Native Canadian Art Birds page.

To see Cody's profile, see Northwest Coast Native Canadian Art Carver Cody Mathias.

Inuit Drum Dancing of the Arctic

A new article on Inuit drum dancing has just been posted to the Free Spirit Gallery Inuit Art website. Like Inuit throat singing , Inuit drum dancing was discouraged for many years by the Christian missionaries working in the Canadian Arctic. This popular form of traditional Inuit music activity has since been revitalized and is a real treat to experience. See the Inuit Drum Dancing of the Arctic article.

Free Spirit Gallery Inuit Art frequently carries Inuit art featuring drum dancers.

Below is an Inuit drum dancer recently performing in Ottawa, Canada.

New Inuit Inukshuk Winter Olympics Emblem Causes Controversy

It seems that the new emblem of the 2010 Winter Olympics which happens to be a multi-colored Inuit inukshuk is causing controversy. Some Inuit are happy with the decision while some are not claiming that Inuit elders should have been consulted first for the significance of the Inuit inukshuk. Some First Nations groups in BC Canada also claim that there should have been more Northwest influence on the emblem. See the full story as well as the image of the new Winter Olympics Winter inukshuk at;

http://vancouver.cbc.ca/regional/servlet/View?filename=bc_inukshuk20050426

For more background information on the inukshuk, see the article The Inuit Inukshuk.

World's Biggest Inuit Igloo Built

About 18 men in Puvirnituq, Nunavik (northern Quebec Arctic) built the biggest Inuit igloo in the world. It was about 130 feet in circumference, 40 feet in diameter and 16 feet high with the capacity of at least 500 people – about half of Puvirnituq's population. More than 670 snow blocks were used. The base alone took about 60 blocks. One of the organizers, Johnny Weetangaq, said the Inuit igloo was a way of promoting Inuit culture and the builders hope to create an even larger one during the next snow festival in two years. He added, "If we can build an igloo that can hold 500 people, then we can build one that can hold 1,000 people"

Free Spirit Gallery sometimes carries nice Inuit art carvings of igloos. See Other Inuit Carvings for availability.

Inuit Throat Singing Article Just Posted

A new article on Inuit throat singing has just been posted to the Free Spirit Gallery website. There are some photos of Inuit throat singers as well of which one is shown below. See the article Throat Singing In Inuit Culture.

Don't forget to browse our gallery of both Inuit art and Northwest Indian art.

Where To Sell Your Older Inuit Art Collection

I get quite a few calls from individuals who have older Inuit art collections that they want to get appraised and sell. Free Spirit Gallery Inuit art is current and contemporary and therefore we do not deal with older Inuit art. We do not appraise the current market values of older Inuit art and do not purchase private collections. However, there is an article that will provide some sources of information for those who wish to find out more about the artists of their older Inuit art as well as a firm who could appraise and sell older Inuit art on behalf of collectors. See the article Value of Older Inuit Art.