During the first week of May the Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum put out a call for submissions for our first-ever virtual pop-up museum. The goal was to create an exhibit showcasing objects individuals would associate with the pandemic for years to come.
Spring in the Arctic is a magical time of year, bringing both joy and challenges. In this unusual spring, we turn to historic images from our collection to celebrate the beauty of the changing seasons, the hope that comes with the return of the sun.
Women across the north have always created beautiful clothing, footwear, bags, and other objects for their families. In the past they decorated their work with dyed bird and porcupine quills, contrasting colors of hide and fur, and beads carved from stone, bone, ivory, and shell, creating pleasing patterns that also often had important symbolic meaning.
Flowers bloom profusely in the brief summers of the high Arctic, thriving in the 24-hour daylight despite low temperatures, little water, strong winds, and little or no soil. Growing low to the ground, tiny blossoms can be found scattered on otherwise bare ground or growing in dense mats. They bloom almost as soon as the snow begins to melt and continue through the short summer.
On the 100th anniversary of his death, we look at the life of Minik Wallace.
This exhibit presents a selection of Donald B. MacMillan’s gorgeous hand-tinted glass lantern slides, recently digitized with support from the Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation.
Traditional and contemporary music is a vibrant part of Inuit society. Inuit visual artists often portray traditional drummers, singers, and dancers in their works, highlighting the ways such performances and songs are crucial links to the past. Contemporary musicians are reviving traditional music, performing pieces in their original forms. At the same time, they are incorporating elements of older musical styles into modern genres, creating unique contemporary sounds.
This exhibit explores the traditional skin-on-frame watercraft used by Inuit across the Arctic for hunting, fishing, traveling, and recreation. From Alaska to Greenland and Labrador, Inuit customized these versatile vessels to suit the various water and ice conditions they expected to encounter.
While some Inuit musicians push the boundaries of old and new styles, others reclaim and reinvigorate original Inuit sounds. In this third post of the Arctic Museum’s Inuit Music series, we’ll take a look at two master musicians who are passing their traditional skills and knowledge on to a younger generation.
