Ulukhaktok Print Shop

Ulukhaktok Print Shop

The famous Ulukhaktok Print Shop is a must-see stop when you are in Ulukaktok. Local artists will be happy to share their creations with you and will demonstrate their skills as you watch. The Ulukhaktok Eskimo Co-operative which formed in 1961. In 1965 they released their first set of prints. They have released a new set of limited edition prints every year since. Over the years several styles of printmaking:

• stone cut
• stenciling on seal skin
• stenciling on wax paper
• stenciling on mylar
• lithography
• woodblock printing
• acid free etching

have been utilized by the print shop. In all forms of print making, the finest quality paper and inks are used to ensure stability of the images.

The Ulukhaktok Print Shop creates fine art prints produced by hand in the studio, usually in editions of 50 and are often printed by the artist. The Ulukhaktok prints were the subject of an Inuit art display held at the Winnipeg Art Gallery. The Winnipeg Art Gallery has also created a virtual museum of Ulukaktok focused on the Ulukhaktok Print Shop. This is an educational site where you can learn about:

• life in Ulukhaktok
• various are printing techniques
• Ulukhaktok artists

Click here to visit the site.

The Ulukhaktok Print Shop is open for tours. You'll have a unique opportunity to see printing techniques in action and to meet the artists and print makers who live in this diverse artistic community.

Susie Malgokak - Song of Bravery

Dancers - Helen Kalvak

Brother Lets Get Ready for Winter Elsie Klengenberg

Tug of War - Helen Kavak

Travelling Companions-Elsie Klengenberg

Helen Kalvak (1901-1984)
Ulukaktok Island

Helen Kalvak lived the traditional migratory existence of the early twentieth-century Inuit most of her life. She moved into the settlement at Holman Island in 1960. Trained as an shaman, Kalvak knew magic words and chants. This training inflenced the artwork she made in her old age. Her works often depict women in the role of healer and sorcerer. She was elected to membership in the Canadian Royal Academy of Arts in 1975 and was made a member of the Order of Canada in 1979.

Elsie Anaginak Klengenberg

Elsie is an Inuit artist from the western Arctic. She grew up on the land, living in tents and igloos. About 30 years ago, her family moved into the community of Ulukaktok, on the west coast of Victoria Island. Elsie's father, Victor Ekootak, was one of the founders of the now-famous Holman Co-op and print-shop. Today, Elsie herself is an important member of the Victoria Island artistic community. Her work has been widely acclaimed for its illustrative depiction of traditional themes, which Elsie says helps to keep her connected to the memories of life on the land.