Seniors (65+) are invited to join us at the Gallery for a very special edition of our Seniors Tour & Tea program featuring multidisciplinary Inuvialuk artist Kablusiak where attendees will make ukpik ornaments.

Ukpiks refers to the snowy owl and is a popular subject for Inuit handicraft ornaments and art. These items are cherished as both toys and decorative objects and are often made from traditional materials.

Kablusiak is a multidisciplinary Inuvialuk artist who creates work in a variety of materials including, but not limited to, soapstone, permanent marker, bed sheets, felt, fur, and words. Their work explores the dis/connections between existence within and without Inuit Nunangat, the impacts of colonization on gender and sexuality expressions, trying to make people laugh, and the everyday. Kablusiak holds a BFA in Drawing from AUArts in Mohkinstsis/Calgary, and currently lives and works in amiskwaciy-wâskahikan/Edmonton. Their work can be found in the collections of the Indigenous Art Centre, Alberta Foundation for the Arts, Art Gallery of Alberta, Banff Centre for Arts & Creativity, and Global Affairs Visual Art Collection, among others. Kablusiak was awarded the 2023 Sobey Art Award and is represented by Norberg Hall.