These days, genuine Canadian Aboriginal art is hotter than steaming rocks in a sweat lodge. Inuit soapstone figures are historically unique to Canada, and on the world stage, Aboriginal painters are coming into their own with new directions in semi-abstract contemporary prints and painting. At least one Aboriginal objet d’art is de rigueur for visitors to Canada. Here’s where you can find some wonderful work:
Arctic Trading Company (Churchill, MB): Beaded mukluks, leather goods, caribou-hair-sculpted art and tufting, and lots of books and jewellery.
Art Canada (Fort Simpson, NWT): Inuit soapstone carvings from the Northwest Territories, also available online.
Canada House Gallery (Banff, AB): Inuit and Northwest Coast Aboriginal art, along with Canadian wilderness-inspired work.
Hill’s Native Art Gallery (five locations in British Columbia, including Vancouver and Nanaimo): Carries work from 1,200-plus native artists.
Traditional Huron Site “ONHOÜA CHETEK8E” (Québec City, QC): A “living museum”; the gift shop offers everything from birch-bark box trinkets to large artwork.
Midnight Sun Gallery & Gifts (Whitehorse, YT): Not just art, but preserves, soaps, books and fudge. Good spot to find moosehair-tufting artwork.
Ninavik Native Arts (Jordan, ON): Top-notch Inuit and Iroquois soapstone sculpture and carved pottery. Pricey, but quality stuff.
Spirits of the West Coast Native Art Gallery (Courtenay, BC): Pacific Northwest Coast art: Haida, Kwakiutl, Coast Salish. Masks and carvings are the most authentic pieces to buy here.
Urban Shaman Contemporary Aboriginal Art (Winnipeg, MB): Rotating exhibitions by leading contemporary Aboriginal artists—but some works are for sale.
Whetung Ojibwa Crafts and Art Gallery (Curve Lake Indian Reserve, ON): Two hours’ drive northeast of Toronto, with more than two dozen artists, right on the native reserve. It doesn't get more real than this.
www.aboriginalartcanada.com/
www.aboriginalcanada.gc.ca/acp/site.nsf/eng/ao20024.html
video:
Destination Wendake
Arctic Trading Company
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Great list of Aboriginal art websites and thank you for the post. Canada House Gallery is really great place to find quality Aboriginal Art work. In Australia, DACOU.com.au provides artists with the highest quality canvas, paints, oils and brushes ensuring the longevity of each piece of work and where possible images of works in progress are captured and available for viewing.