Marybelle Mitchell (1940-2016)
In February of 2016, the Inuit art world was deeply saddened by the sudden loss of Marybelle Mitchell, the Inuit art historian who worked tirelessly to foster and support Inuit art and artists. Marybelle, a graduate of University of Toronto (Trinity College), McGill University and Carleton University, has been long recognized for her outstanding contributions to Inuit arts and cultural history. Early in her career as Fine Arts and Crafts Director for La Fédération des Coopératives du Nouveau-Québec, Marybelle played a key role in the creation of an international market for Indigenous art from Nunavik; she made history again in 1980 when she curated Things Made By Inuit, the first exhibition to tour throughout Nunavik, and later internationally.
Most notably, Marybelle founded both Inuit Art Quarterly and the Inuit Art Foundation, which she led in tandem for a quarter-century between 1986 and 2012. At the Foundation, she is further remembered for her establishment of many significant programs, productions and events that contributed greatly to the careers of many Inuit artists and cultural workers and the advancement of Inuit art as a whole. She arranged for artists to participate in international residencies; developed workshops in the north that led to significant knowledge exchanges across Inuit Nunangat; created professional development guidebooks for artists; and founded the Inuit Artist’s College for artists and the Cultural
Industries Certificate Program for Inuit cultural workers.
As a writer, Marybelle is perhaps best known for her critically acclaimed book From Talking Chiefs to a Native Corporate Elite: The Birth of Class and Nationalism among Canadian Inuit (1996), but some of her most timely and influential writing took place in the pages of the IAQ. Through her thoughtful editorials, as well as her leadership on the magazine’s content, Marybelle advocated for safer and healthier working conditions for artists, the professionalization of their careers and the advancement of the field of Inuit art studies.
Marybelle also had a huge influence on me personally and professionally. I had the opportunity to work for her as a research and curatorial assistant at the Foundation, and she also mentored me as a member of both my Master’s and Doctoral committees. Ever the source of encouragement—and kind, but rigorous, critique—Marybelle spent many hours reviewing my work and offering advice and insights. I know she was similarly supportive of the many other Inuit who passed through the doors of the
Inuit Art Foundation. We will remember Marybelle for her dedication to, and lasting impact on, the cultural and artistic advancement of Inuit. —