| Unlike Inuit sculpture, art prints from the Canadian | | | | printmaking to the Inuit carver by rubbing ink onto one |
| Arctic are a twentieth century innovation in Inuit Eskimo | | | | of Ipeelee's ivory tusk carvings and made an |
| art. One of the most significant events that happened | | | | impression of it on a piece of toilet paper. Upon seeing |
| during the development of contemporary Inuit art was | | | | the resulting graphic, the Inuit artist said, "We could do |
| when Canadian James Houston taught the Inuit to | | | | that." This resulted in the birth of Eskimo Inuit art prints. |
| make art prints by incising designs into linoleum tiles, | | | | The Cape Dorset Inuit artists soon integrated the new |
| stone blocks and stencils from sealskins. He had | | | | print making methods into their Inuit art and by 1960, |
| previously studied printmaking in Japan since the | | | | their printmaking was a growing business. Eskimo Inuit |
| Japanese were considered innovators in this art | | | | art prints by early artists such as Pitseolak Ashoona |
| process. | | | | and Jamasie Teevee became much sought after |
| One day in 1957, Houston met up with a local Inuit art | | | | artwork. Because of the success of Cape Dorset, |
| carver by the name of Osuitok Ipeelee in Cape | | | | other Inuit communities were encouraged to follow its |
| Dorset. Ipeelee had been studying the identical printed | | | | example. So in addition to Inuit sculpture, art prints |
| images of a sailor's head on two cigarette packages | | | | became another form of Eskimo Inuit art that found |
| he had. Houston demonstrated the process of | | | | commercial success. |