Biography Nuna Parr
NUNA PARR (NOONA)
Date of Birth: January 7, 1949
Place of Birth: Cape Dorset
Mother: Eleeshushe
Father: Parr
Male/Female: Male E7-764
Nuna’s parents, the late Parr and Eleeshushe, are renowned graphic artists from the older generation. His brother, Epirvik is a carver. Nuna has been carving since the 1960’s, preferring wildlife for his subjects. Nuna and his family have left Cape Dorset to live a more traditional lifestyle relying on hunting and carving for their livelihood.
Nuna is presently on the Board of Directors of the Inuit Art Foundation, Ottawa, Ontario.
EXHIBITIONS:
Native Canadian and Inuit Art
The Great Canadian Trading Post Company Windsor, Ontario
(brochure)
Our Land Transforming; Celebrating the Enduring Spirit Of the Inuit
Arctic Raven Gallery
One Front Street, Second Floor
POB 2139
Friday Harbor, Washington, U.S.A.
(brochure)
January – February 1967:
Cape Dorset – A Decade of Eskimo Prints & Recent Sculpture
National Gallery of Canada
In cooperation with the Canadian Eskimo Art Committee Ottawa, Ontario
(tour) (illustrated catalogue)
March – April 1979:
Sculpture of the Inuit: Lorne Balshine Collection/Lou Osipov Collection/Dr. Harry Winrob Collection Surrey Art Gallery
Surrey, British Columbia
(illustrated catalogue)
November – December 1979:
In Celebration
Canadian Guild of Crafts Montreal, Quebec
1980:
Eskimo Sculpture from the Eastern Arctic Ufundi Gallery
Ottawa, Onario
January – March 1980:
Cape Dorset Winnipeg Art Gallery Winnipeg, Manitoba
(illustrated catalogue)
April 1980:
Art of Baffin
The Arctic Circle
Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.
September – October 1980:
La deesse inuite de la mer/The Inuit Sea Goddess Musee des beaux-arts de Montreal
Montreal, Quebec
(tour)
(illustrated catalogue)
1981:
Cape Dorset Sculptors and Their Sculpture The Inuit Art Collection
Mrs. & Mrs. James F. Bacon
Manchester, Connecticut, U.S.A.
(illustrated catalogue)
October – November 1981:
The Inuit Sea Goddess
Surrey Art Gallery
(organized to complement the Musee des beaux-arts de Montreal exhibit of the same name)
Vancouver, British Columbia
(illustrated catalogue)
April 1982:
Sculpture Inuit: Stone & Bone Circa 1960 – 1979 Canadiana Galleries Edmonton, Alberta
September – October 1984:
On The Land
The Arctic Circle
Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.
December 1984 – February 1985:
The Last and First Eskimos Museum of Science and History Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.A.
November – December 1986:
Art Inuit
Canadian Guild of Crafts Montreal, Quebec
September – November 1987:
The Swinton Collection of Inuit Art Winnipeg Art Gallery
Winnipeg, Manitoba
(illustrated catalogue)
March 1988:
Arctic Forms – Inuit Sculpture Arctic Inuit Art Gallery Richmond, Virginia, U.S.A.
November – December 1988:
Sculpture Inuit Canadian Guild of Crafts Montreal, Quebec
(illustrated brochure)
June 1989:
Masters of the Arctic: An Exhibition of Contemporary Inuit Masterworks
Presented by Amway Corporation
At the United Nations General Assembly
New York, N.Y., U.S.A.
(tour)
(illustrated catalogue)
August 1990:
Traditions and Innovations in Inuit Art Sculpture in Stone
Images of the North
San Francisco, California, U.S.A.
(illustrated brochure)
November 1990:
Inuit Masterworks
Inuit Gallery of Vancouver Vancouver, British Columbia
(illustrated catalogue)
November 1990 – February 1991:
Espaces Inuit
Maison Hamel-Bruneau Ste-Foy, Quebec
(illustrated catalogue)
February 1991:
Animals of the Arctic Arctic Inuit Art
Richmond, Virginia, U.S.A.
February – March 1991:
Cape Dorset Sculpture McMaster Art Gallery Hamilton, Ontario
February – June 1991:
Granville Island Canadian Inuit Sculpture Exhibition (First Exhibition)
Vancouver Inuit Art Society
Vancouver, British Columbia
August – September 1991:
Cape Dorset Stone Sculpture: Masters and The Next Generation
Inuit Gallery of Vancouver
Vancouver, British Columbia
(illustrated catalogue)
November – December 1991:
Inuit Sculpture: Displayed in conjunction with the 1991 Cape Dorset Annual Graphics Collection
Muscarelle Museum of Art
Williamsburg, Virginia, U.S.A.
November – December 1992:
Inuit Sculpture: New Acquisitions Pucker Gallery. Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A. (illustrated brochure)
December 1992:
Small Sculptures by Great Artists I Feheley Fine Arts
Toronto, Ontario
December 1993:
Small Sculptures by Great Artists II Feheley Fine Arts
Toronto, Ontario
March – April 1994:
Wildlife and Nature in Art Arctic Experience Hamilton, Ontario
July 1994:
Arctic Spirit
35 Years of Canadian Inuit Art Frye Art Museum
Seattle, Washington, U.S.A.
October 1994:
Sculpture of the Inuit: Major Works by the Masters of Stone
Maslak McLeod Canadian Art
Santa Fe, New Mexico, U.S.A.
October:
Sculpture of the Inuit
Maslak McLeod
Santa Fe, New Mexico, U.S.A.
May – July 1995:
Tundra and Ice: Exceptional Sculpure from Canada Orca Aart Galley
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A.
May – September 1995:
Keeping Our Stories Alive: An Exhibition of the Art and Crafts from Dene and Inuit of Canada
Institute of American Indian Arts Museum
Santa Fe, New Mexico, U.S.A.
(illustrated catalogue)
September 1995:
Sedna: Spirit of the Sea Feheley Fine Arts Toronto, Ontario
October – December 1995:
Canadian Inuit Sculpture – The Next Generation Orca Aart Gallery
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A.
(illustrated catalogue)
March – June 1996:
Tundra and Ice IV
Orca Aart Galley Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A.
June 1996:
Images of Our Past Art of Man Gallery
(illustrated catalogue)
November – December 1996:
New Visions
Spirit Wrestler Gallery Vancouver, British Columbia
(illustrated catalogue)
November – December 1996:
Sculpture Inuit Canadian Guild of Crafts Montreal, Quebec
(brochure)
February – April 1997:
Stone & Bone
The Inuit Master Carvers of the Canadian Arctic
The North West Company
Held at Sun Valley Center for the Arts and Humanities Ketchum, Idaho, U.S.A.
June 1997:
Singing and Dancing and Playing Feheley Fine Arts
Toronto, Ontario (brochure)
August – October 1999:
The R.D. Bell Collection of Inuit Art Carleton University Art Gallery Ottawa, Ontario
October 1999:
Horizons
Inuit Gallery of Vancouver Vancouver, British Columbia
(illustrated catalogue)
April 2000:
Nuna Parr: The Artist’s Hand Inuit Sculpture Portfolio
Inuit Gallery of Vancouver Vancouver, British Columbia
(illustrated catalogue)
November – December 2000:
Small Sculptures by Great Artists 2000 Feheley Fine Arts
Toronto, Ontario
(illustrated brochure)
November – December 2003:
Honouring the Master Carvers Eskimo Art Gallery
Toronto, Ontario
Spring 2005:
Cape Dorset Sculpture Spirit Wrestler Gallery Vancouver, British Columbia
(illustrated catalogue)
October 2005:
Contemporary Sculpture by Dorset Artists Canada House
Banff, Alberta
2006:
Rhythms in Motion Galerie d’art Vincent
Ottawa, Ontario
(illustrated catalogue)
August – September 2006:
Second Generation Cape Dorset Carvers Gallery Indigena
Stratford, Ontario
November – December 2006:
Arctic Miniatures
The Albers Gallery
San Francisco, California, U.S.A.
April – May, 2008:
Arctic Wind – An Expression of Naturalism Coastal Peoples Fine Arts Gallery Vancouver, British Columbia
December, 2008:
Mini Masterworks II
Spirit Wrestler Gallery Vancouver, British Columbia
(illustrated catalogue)
March – April, 2009:
Arctic Wildlife
Inuit Gallery of Vancouver Vancouver, British Columbia
September – October, 2009:
Power and Passion Canadian Arctic Gallery Basel, Switzerland
May – June, 2010:
Polar Bears
Canadian Arctic Gallery Basel, Switzerland
June – September, 2011:
Bear Farandole
Kulik Art Inuit Quebec City. Quebec
October, 2011:
Stone and Paper Cape Dorset 2011 Native Art Gallery Oakville, ON
(illustrated catalogue)
SOLO EXHIBITIONS:
1978:
Nuna Parr Gallery One Toronto, Ontario
(illustrated catalogue)
March – April 1980:
Nuna Parr – An Exhibition of Recent Carvings Gallery One
Toronto, Ontario
September – October 1983:
Nuna Parr
Inuit Galerie
Mannheim, West Germany
November 1985:
Nuna Parr – Sculpture Canadiana Galleries Edmonton, Alberta
(illustrated catalogue)
December 1988:
Nuna Parr Eskimo Art Galley Toronto, Ontario
COLLECTIONS:
Amway Environmental Foundation Collection, Ada, Michigan, U.S.A.
Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia
Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, Ontario
Canada Council Art Bank, Ottawa, Ontario
Canadian Museum of Civilization, Hull, Quebec
Dennos Museum Center, Northwestern Michigan College, Traverse City, Michigan, U.S.A.
GE Canada Inuit Art Collection, Mississauga, Ontario
Inuit Cultural Institute, Rankin Inlet, NWT
McMaster University Art Gallery, Hamilton, Ontario
Musee d’art Inuit Brousseau, Quebec City, Quebec
National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario
Owens Art Gallery, Mount Allison University, Sackville, New Brunswick
Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre, Yellowknife, NWT
Winnipeg Art Gallery, Winnipeg, Manitoba
HONOURS, ACHIEVEMENT AND EVENTS:
1980
Invited by Public Works Canada to submit sketches for low relief carvings to decorate the exterior of the parliament buildings.
1999
Was elected to the Board of Directors of the Inuit Art Foundation, Ottawa, Ontario.
SELECTED REFERENCES:
MASTERS OF THE ARCTIC: An Exhibition of Contemporary Inuit Masterworks. Ada, Michigan, Amway Corporation, 1989.
Canadian Arctic Producers
NUNA PARR: Sculpture. Ottawa: Canadian Arctic Producers, 1985.
Institute of American Indian Arts Museum
Keeping Our Stories Alive: An Exhibition of the Art and Crafts from Dene and Inuit of Canada. Santa Fe, New Mexico: Institute of American Indian Arts Museum, 1995.
Inuit Art Collection
CAPE DORSET: Sculptors and their Sculpture. Manchester, Connecticut: The Inuit Art Collection, 1981.
Inuit Gallery of Vancouver
CAPE DORSET STONE SCULPTURE: MASTERS AND THE NEXT GENERATION: August 17 – September 6, 1991. Vancouver, British Columbia: Inuit Gallery of Vancouver, 1991.
Inuit Gallery of Vancouver
INUIT MASTERWORKS: November 3 – 24, 1990. Vancouver, British Columbia: Inuit Galley of Vancouver, 1990.
Settler, Faye
FROM THE DEALER’S VIEWPOINT. About Arts and Crafts, Vol. 2, No. 3, Winter 1978, pp. 24 – 25.
Swinton, Nelda
LA DEESSE INUITE DE LA MER. – THE INUIT SEA GODDESS. Montreal: Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, 1980.
Winnipeg Art Gallery
CAPE DORSET. Winnipeg: The Winnipeg Art Gallery, 1979.
Winnipeg Art Galley
SWINTON COLLECTION OF INUIT ART. Winnipeg Art Gallery, 1987.
