Museum of Inuit Art From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Museum of Inuit Art

Location of the gallery in Toronto Established June 2007 Location Toronto, Ontario, Canada Coordinates 43°38′20″N 79°22′50″W Type Inuit art Director David Harris Public transit access 509 Harbourfront Alternate: ■ Union 510 Spadina Website www.miamuseum.ca The Museum of Inuit Art, also known as MIA, is a museum in Toronto located within the historic Queen's Quay Terminal at the Harbourfront Centre. It is devoted exclusively to Inuit art and culture.

Officially opened in June 2007, the museum exists due to the efforts of David Harris — a former teacher in Nunavut and founder of The Harris Inuit Gallery, a respected commercial gallery for Inuit art — and a group of dedicated partners.

MIA occupies more than 6,000 square feet (560 m2) of exhibition space and is home to hundreds of pieces of Inuit art ranging from sculptures carved from stone, antler, ivory and bone to ceramics, prints and wall hangings.

Contents [hide] 1 Architecture 2 Collection 3 Gallery 4 Reciprocal partnerships 5 Affiliations 6 Notes 7 References 8 External links [edit]Architecture

The MIA space was designed by gh3 inc. and has won two design awards: the Ontario Association of Architects Design Excellence Award, and the Canada Interiors’ Best of Canada Design Competition Award.[1] “The interior of the museum has been designed to remove visitors from the commercial clutter of the adjacent downtown shopping arcade and transport them to a more rarefied environment for viewing art — a neutral white shell evoking the iconic landscape forms of the arctic ice.”[2]

Sprott

MIA acquired significant works through the generous sponsorship of Eric Sprott and the Sprott Acquisition Program in 2008.

MIA owns and operates a 1,800 sq ft (170 m2) gallery featuring collector quality, original works of art created by contemporary Inuit artists. As a non-profit institution, all proceeds from the Museum of Inuit Art and the Museum of Inuit Art Gallery support cultural, educational and acquisition programs at the museum.

The sculptures, wall hangings, and original fine art prints on sale at MIA Gallery and Graphics Gallery are acquired from the various Inuit co-operatives that represent Inuit artists working in the North. As such, all proceeds from the sale of art at the gallery directly support the work of contemporary Inuit artists and their communities. The shop also carries jewellery, packing dolls, and books on Inuit art.