Etulu Etidloie Andrea Flowers Pavinak Petaulassie

Pavinak Petaulassie (1961–2019)

Renowned carver, Pavinak Petaulassie, passed away this summer. He was an accomplished carver whose work has been presented across North America from San Francisco to Toronto, and many places in-between.

Hailing from a long line of Kinngait artists, Petaulassie was a natural creative and part of the generation of Inuit artists who straddled the line between traditional life and modern Inuit communities, growing up in Kinngait during the foundational early years of the West Baffin Eskimo Co-operative.

Though his preference was usually groups of animals, Petaulassie also carved people on occasion. He expressed dynamic motion and the blending of traditional and modern Inuit in his carving Family (c. 2015)—a serpentinite depiction of an excited family gathering around a freshly caught char, with the group in traditional parkas and a young man donning a baseball cap.

An avid runner even into his later life, Petaulassie was preoccupied with flow and movement—an exuberance he transferred into his art. From his many depictions of schools of fish to flocks of birds, Petaulassie was capable of portraying the interconnectedness of nature with beautiful precision, often using single pieces of stone and following the natural curves of his medium. Works by Pavinak Petaulassie are in the collection of the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec in Quebec City and the Winnipeg Art Gallery, MB.

Andrea Flowers (1934–2019)

Affectionately known as Aunt Joy to her friends and family and members of her community, Andrea Flowers passed away in September 2019. Born in Makkovik, NL in 1934, Flowers learned to sew from her mother and aunt as a child. She moved to the community of Hopedale in 1952 where she started her family and lived for the rest of her life. Flowers became known for sewing labourintensive waterproof sealskin garments, such as boots and mittens, that she crafted from seals hunted by her husband and sons. She initially sewed exclusively for her family and began to craft garments for sale once her own children had grown.

Throughout her life, Andrea Flowers understood and emphasized the importance of passing on her skills and knowledge to the next generation of artists and craftspeople. In 2017, she aided her nephew in the construction of his traditional sealskin kayak, and many of her grandchildren have become talented craftspeople and seamstresses in their own right.

A pair of Flowers’ beaded, sealskin kamiit were included in the landmark exhibition SakKijâjuk: Art and

Craft from Nunatsiavut (2018). The exhibition, organized by The Rooms in St. John’s, NL, and curated by Dr. Heather Igloliorte toured across Canada.

Throughout her life, Andrea Flowers continued to craft her beautiful mittens, moosehide slippers, kamiit and parkas as a respected member and elder in her community. Flowers was recognized for her contributions to her community in November 2010, when she was selected to represent the Government of Nunatsiavut as the Elder Firekeeper in Hopedale where she welcomed the 2010 Olympic Torch relay.

Etulu Etidloie (1946–2019)

Kinngait born singer-songwriter and carver Etulu Etidloie passed away in September 2019 in Ottawa, ON. Etidloie was the son of late graphic artists Etidloie Etidloie (1911–1981) and Kingmeata Etidloie (1915–1989). Etidloie began writing music in the 1960s and by the 1970s, he had a loyal fanbase across the region. In 1980, he performed at CBC’s True North Concert, in Iqaluit, NU. In 1986, a collection of Etidloie’s music entitled Today’s

Thoughts was released through the CBC’s Northern

Ser vice Broadcast Recording Label.

Throughout his life, the artist could be found entertaining crowds in the community hall with his folk songs. On Sunday mornings he was often in front of the church, singing his own blend of gospel and popular music.

Etidloie was also known for his stone sculptures. He took up carving in his early twenties and learned by watching his father carve. For each piece, the shape of the stone dictated the works final form, although loons as well as dancing bears, birds and wolves have become synonymous with his name.

Etidloie’s work has been exhibited widely in Canada as well as in Germany and the United States. In addition, the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto, the Vancouver Art Gallery, BC, and the Winnipeg Art Gallery, MB, all have sculptures by the late ar tist as part of their permanent collections.