Canada Council offering buy-back deal to artists

MONTREAL — Until March 31, artists whose works are sitting in the Canada Council’s art bank may buy back their art if they wish.

The Canada Council is offering the one-time deal to 2,800 Canadian artists who have artwork in the bank.

They may repurchase their art work for the original price paid by the Canada Council, plus 30 per cent, as well as taxes and shipping.

Taking up this buy-back offer could be a good move for Inuit artists such as Irene Avaalaaqiaq from Baker Lake or Cape Dorset’s Kenojuak Ashevak and Kananginak Pootoogook, whose works have increased in value since the time when the art bank bought them.

But many Inuit artists may not have a clue what the art bank is, or whether their works are among those in stock.

With 18,000 pieces of art, this bank has, in fact, the largest collection of contemporary Canadian art in the country. Set up in 1971, the art bank is supposed to help showcase Canadian artists by renting art work for display in lobbies, boardrooms and offices from $120 to $3,000 a year.

Even Inuit artists who do know they have works in the art bank may not know about the buy-back offer. The offer hasn’t been promoted in Inuktitut, and the Canada Council sent no special mailing to artists about it.

“We don’t have addresses for the artists, although we’ve certainly done our best to let them know,” said Victoria Henry, director of the art bank.

A small, English-only advertisement did appear in the most recent edition of the Inuit Art Quarterly, the Inuit Art Foundation’s magazine. It explained the buy-back offer, and asked the tantalizing question: “Do you have works at the Canada Council Art Bank?”

But it didn’t list the names of the many Inuit artists who do have carvings, drawings, wall hangings and prints in the bank.

Some of Inuit artists with work in the art bank are Paul Aaluk, Thomasie Alikatuktuk, Elizabeth Angmaqtuaq, Kenojuak Ashevak, Irene Avaalaaqiaq, Jaco Ishulutaq, Davidee Itulu, Andrew Karpik, Janet Kigusiuq, Victoria Mamnguqsualuk, Saila Pitaloosie, Kananginak Pootoogook, Toonoo Sharky and Simon Tookoome, just to mention a very few.

Inuit art purchased by the Canada Council back in the 1970s and 1980s has skyrocketed in value, but this buy-back offer isn’t supposed to allow artists to re-purchase their artwork and then turn around to re-sell it for profit.

Henry hopes most artists will be happy simply knowing that their art is on display and appreciated by clients who use the art bank’s services.

“The reason for doing this isn’t to empty the bank,” Henry said.

She said the buy-back offer was previously offered until 1995, when the bank’s future came into jeopardy. On the recommendation of its Arts Advisory Committee, the Canada Council decided to provide artists with another chance to repurchase their work, from Oct. 30 to March 31, 2001.

Henry said members of the Ashoona family of Cape Dorset have expressed interest in buying back some early art work.

Any living artists with work in the bank can repurchase their artwork, but the families of deceased artists can’t ask to buy back any art on behalf of their deceased relatives.

Living artists may, however, specify in writing that a dealer or representative can act for them.

Art work in storage is available for repurchase immediately, but art that is rented or on loan won’t be available until the end of the contract or loan.

If artists don’t put in a serious request to repurchase their work by March 31, the Canada Council art bank will retain ownership. Some works of art, which have never been rented or which are less in demand, will then be offered for sale to museums.

To learn more about repurchasing artwork — and to see if your name is on the list — contact Victoria Henry at 1-800-263-5588, Ext. 4624, or Suzanne Wolfe at Ext. 4612.