The John and Lile Gibbons Center for Arctic Studies at Bowdoin College, home to the Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum. The 16,000-square-foot building saw over 15,000 visitors since the museum was reopened this May. It was part of a $37 million project by Bowdoin along with neighboring Barry Mills Hall, which houses classrooms, offices and study areas, as well as a 300-person event space. Courtesy of Bowdoin College
On May 7, gather your courage and join Arctic Museum staff as they open their newest exhibit, “Northern Nightmares: Monsters in Inuit Art,” opening at 7 p.m. in the Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum’s new home, the John and Lile Gibbons Center for Arctic Studies on the Bowdoin College campus.
“Northern Nightmares” celebrates artworks by Inuit artists from Alaska, Canada and Greenland in stone, antler, ivory and on paper. Like people all over the world, Inuit tell many stories of monsters and artists draw on this rich mythology for inspiration. Some of the monsters they depict will be familiar: giants roam northern lands as they do all over the world. Many, such as Palraiyuk, with its lizard-like body and multiple stomachs to hold the various body parts of its human prey, are unique to the North.
Tupilak carvings from Greenland have a gruesome story to tell, but also illustrate the complex relationship between Inuit artists and the contemporary art market. Completing the exhibit are a series of works by artists who draw on their imaginations to create new monsters, nightmarish, fantastical creatures of all shapes and sizes.
“The pieces in this exhibit are certainly scary,” said curator Genevieve LeMoine, “but many are also very beautiful, and some are humorous, too. It has been very interesting to learn more about the stories, and to see the different approaches of the artists.”
The exhibit will open with an informal reception with light refreshments on the main floor of the Gibbons Center from 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, May 7. Museum staff will be on hand to answer questions and point out their favorite monsters.
The museum is located in the John and Lile Gibbons Center for Arctic Studies, 10 Polar Loop. Regular museum hours are Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 1 to 5 p.m., closed Mondays and national holidays. For more information visit our website at Bowdoin.edu/arctic-museum or call (207) 725-3416.
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