WAG-Qaumajuq Welcomes Three Inuit Artists to Month-Long Residency

Press Release

Winnipeg, Manitoba, March 11, 2026: The Winnipeg Art Gallery (WAG)-Qaumajuq is pleased to announce the third annual Artist-in-Residency program in collaboration with the Government of Nunavut’s Department of Culture and Heritage. The four-week residency will run from March 6 to April 2, 2026, where three Inuit artists from Nunavut will travel to Winnipeg to participate.

The three artists are Leo Karetak (Rankin Inlet), Joshua Qaumariaq (Iqaluit), and Becky Mearns (Pangnirtung) who were selected by a committee of staff from the Government of Nunavut and WAG-Qaumajuq.

The artists will have daily access to a studio space at WAG-Qaumajuq and to the Gallery’s media arts equipment and facilities to produce work, provide advice, and promote Inuit art from Nunavut. Artists will also have the opportunity to research and learn about the WAG-Qaumajuq collection of Inuit art, as well as the Government of Nunavut’s collection of Inuit art currently housed at the Gallery, and participate in community programming.

This partnership to develop artists’ practices by supporting experimentation without the pressure to present a finished body of new work. The residency is artist-driven and independent, with staff assistance available for community outreach, technical, and logistical support.

This residency program comes at the heels of the annual Government of Nunavut visit to WAG-Qaumajuq held in January of this year, during which Inuit Heritage and Culture workers from across Nunavut come to the Gallery to attend a series of workshops and to build lasting relationships.

Quick Facts:

• A four-week Artist-in-Residency program in collaboration with the Government of Nunavut’s Department of Culture and Heritage will take place at WAG-Qaumajuq March 6 to April 2, 2026.
• The winners of the residency are Leo Karetak, Joshua Qaumariaq, and Becky Mearns.
• The three artists were selected from a committee of staff from the Government of Nunavut and WAG-Qaumajuq.
• Artists will have daily access to studio space at WAG-Qaumajuq and to the Gallery’s media arts equipment and facilities to produce work, provide advice, and promote Inuit art from Nunavut. They will also be able to research and learn about the WAG-Qaumajuq collection of Inuit art and the Government of Nunavut’s collection of Inuit art, also housed at the Gallery.

About the Artists:

Leo Karetak (Rankin Inlet)
Leo Karetak, an Inuk multimedia artist from Rankin Inlet, grew up surrounded by talented Inuit carvers. Deeply inspired by his grandmother, whom he considers the greatest artist in his eyes, his work is rooted in culture, family, and storytelling. He works across many mediums, including drawing, painting, jewelry making, printmaking, graphic design, stone carving, and tattooing (traditional & contemporary). For Leo, art is life. He believes art has the power to help viewers forget life’s problems and remind them of how beautiful life can be. During his residency, Leo is interested in creating larger paintings inspired by Inuit stories and culture, while continuing to experiment with different materials and forms.

Joshua Qaumariaq (Iqaluit)
Joshua Qaumariaq was born and raised in Iqaluit, a child with a lively imagination who was always drawing and doodling. Today, he is a multidisciplinary Inuk artist who enjoys blending abstract and realist approaches to painting and creating a variety of new media or digital art. Drawing from his Inuit heritage and the fascinating stories he heard in his childhood, Joshua has long been captivated by mighty polar bears and other enigmatic or mysterious shapeshifting creatures. Also, an accomplished musician, Joshua performs across the Arctic with his band, The Trade-Offs, whose sound is described as “Arctic Soul.” His creative reach extends to musical theatre and television, including the recording a song for the hit TV show, North of North. For his residency project, Joshua plans to develop a series of large-scale paintings of Arctic animals, including massive bears and other elusive figures that connect physical and spiritual worlds, bringing to life some of his favourite narratives hidden within Nunavut’s vast landscapes.

Becky Mearns (Pangnirtung)
Originally from Pangnirtung, Nunavut, Rebecca (Becky) Mearns spent part of her childhood in Scotland. She holds both an undergraduate and master’s degree from Carleton University. Becky currently lives in Iqaluit and is a full time PhD student at the Labrador Campus of Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador.  Her research explores the importance of community developed and led programs, grounded in Inuit knowledge, language, and culture. She is reflecting on the lessons and knowledge that live within Inuit stories that have been the foundation of knowledge transfer for generations. Her artistic practice spans many disciplines, including sewing, knitting, crocheting, Inuit tattooing, watercolour painting, and embroidery. Over the past year, she has focused primarily on watercolour and embroidery, drawing inspiration from the land and from storytelling traditions. During her residency, Becky is interested in undertaking an embroidery project rooted in traditional Inuit stories, woven together with Scottish narratives—ultimately connecting the cultures and landscapes that have shaped her life.

Quotes:

“We are excited to be welcoming a new group of inspiring artists from Nunavut to WAG-Qaumajuq in Manitoba. Qaumajuq was built to strengthen connections between Canada’s North and South through art and culture and amplify the voices of the artists, and this program allows us to do just that. Thank you to the Government of Nunavut and congratulations to the artists!”

— Bill Elliott, Deputy Director & CFO, WAG-Qaumajuq

“Through strategic partnerships between the Government of Nunavut and the Winnipeg Art Gallery-Qaumajuq, we are providing opportunities to Nunavut Inuit artists to foster the growth of Inuit art, culture, and knowledge. We are excited for the talented artists to refine their skills and expand their knowledge in a supportive and dynamic environment. We look forward to Nunavut art being celebrated on a national and international stage.”

— Caroline Whittle, Director of Heritage Government of Nunavut, Minister of Culture and Heritage

Associated Links

WAG-Qaumajuq Inuit Art Collection
Government of Nunavut Inuit Art Collection, housed at WAG-Qaumajuq
Nunavut Shines Through Qaumajuq
Gateway to the North
Government of Nunavut and WAG Promoting Inuit Art in Winnipeg

Support

We thank the Government of Nunavut for their ongoing support and partnership with WAG-Qaumajuq.

-30-

For more information or to arrange interviews, please contact:

Katryna Barske
Public Relations Officer
Winnipeg Art Gallery
204.789.1295
kbarske@wag.ca

ILR5