Mayor Bevilacqua celebrates opening of Inuit art exhibition
Municipalinfonet.com
June 26, 2019
Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua issued the following statement to celebrate the opening of the facingNORTH art exhibition at Vaughan City Hall's on the SLATE Atrium Gallery:
"The City of Vaughan is fortunate to feature the works of three extraordinarily talented Inuit artists who share these majestic works with all of us. Abraham Ruben is a gifted sculptor and I am fortunate to include some of his works in my own collection. Irene Avaalaaqiaq's career evolved from drawing to sculpting to printmaking and led to her final preference - designing colourful and inspiring wall hangings. Billy Merkosak is primarily known as a whalebone sculptor who is also recognized as a traditional mask-maker. His work continues to be exhibited in prominent galleries.
"We are drawn to exhibitions like this because we appreciate how powerful a medium like art can truly be.
"facingNORTH showcases the best of these artists. The exhibition evokes emotion, it embodies the spirit of our Indigenous People and it inspires us to capture our own essence so that it too can be shared and appreciated.
"Through this public display, we acknowledge the meaningful contributions made by Inuit artists.
"Today, we also recognize National Indigenous Peoples Day to pay tribute to the meaningful contributions First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples have made throughout Canada.
"This exhibition is just one example of the many ways the City supports cultural and artistic diversity in Vaughan.
"Enriching the lives of residents with art and cultural expression through events, exhibits and festivals is part of providing Service Excellence to our citizens.
"Our city has a proud history of supporting and celebrating arts and culture. We also have a strong historical connection with First Nations, as we are situated on Traditional Territories and Treaty Lands, in particular those of the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation, as well as the Anishinaabeg of the Williams Treaty First Nations, the Huron-Wendat and the Metis Nation.
"Once again, congratulations to everyone who helped make this facingNORTH exhibition so successful.
