Canadian Inuit artist Kenojuak Ashevak (1927 - 2013) brought Arctic graphics to the world stage through her vibrant depictions of the animals, plants, humans, and spirits of the Northern landscape. Her legacy continues today. In this class, we will begin by studying the life and art of Ashevak herself. We will consider the deep history of diverse Arctic indigenous cultures and how artists have maintained their practices and individual visions through the work of cultural preservation, collaboration, writing, and the melding of traditional modes with modern art-making. Students will then delve into researching a contemporary artist based in the Arctic, building their own responses through writing, image-making, thoughtful in-class sharing, and the multi-modal essay. Artists and writers we will study in this class include Gayle Kabloona, Ningiukulu Teevee, and Mayoreak Ashoona.Modern Topics courses are designed for Writing and Literature Majors and Minors and are focused on the critical investigation of a specific modern topic, movement, style, or tradition of literary and performative production, typically after the year 1900. Students will read and write critically on these topics, including multi-modal responses, and will position the texts within a socio-historical context.

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