February 27th is International Polar Bear Day, a date which coincides with when polar bear mothers and cubs are asleep in their dens. International Polar Bear Day was organized by Polar Bears International to raise awareness about the impact of global warming and reduced sea ice on polar bear populations.
Polar bears, whether depicted while walking, standing, or even dancing, are perhaps the best loved subjects in Inuit art. What better opportunity than a day devoted to the polar bear than to present a curated selection of polar bears. In this exhibition there are sculptures dating from the 1980's to the present by some of the foremost artists of the genre. The graphics and drawing selected are by Kananginak Pootoogook (1935-2010) representing the old guard and Saimaiyu Akesuk (1988- ) representing the younger generation of contemporary graphic artists.
Alongside depictions of the majestic polar bear as it goes about its daily ritual of searching for food there are several depictions of mother bears tending to their young or polar bear cubs at play. There is also a rather poignant sculpture by Alec Lawson Tuckatuck (1976- ) depicting a polar bear precariously posed upon a rapidly melting ice floe.
