History Slam Episode Nineteen: The Dorset Seen Exhibit

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By Sean Graham

Last Friday night in Ottawa, buses traversed the city as part of an art gallery crawl. The unofficial launch of Northern Scene, Swarm allowed art fans to view 15 different exhibits around the national capital region, with the event being capped off by a series of performances followed by a fashion show in the foyer of the National Arts Centre. One of the galleries included in Swarm was the Carleton University Art Gallery, which is currently hosting Dorset Seen, an exhibit featuring the work of some of the top artists from Cape Dorset, one of Canada’s most prolific art communities.

In this episode of the History Slam I chat with Sandra Dyck and Leslie Boyd, co-curators of Dorset Seen, about the exhibit. We talk about Cape Dorset’s strong artistic foundation, the changing conceptions of northern art, and art providing an outlet for social commentary. While Dorset Seen is part of Northern Scene, its run at the Carleton University Art Gallery continues until June 2 and is definitely worth checking out.

Sean Graham is a doctoral candidate at the University of Ottawa where he is currently working on a project that examines the early years of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. He has previously studied at Nipissing University, the University of the West Indies, and the University of Regina and like any red-blooded Canadian his ultimate dream is to be a curling champion while living on a diet of beer and poutine.