Adopt an Object: Journey to Summer Camp

This piece “Journey to Summer Camp” by Romeo Eekerkik is part of the MIA’s new Adopt an Object fundraising initiative.

As part of  the MIA’s new fundraising initiative ‘Adopt an Object’, we’ll be highlighting a featured item from our Permanent Collection that staff have chosen to represent some of  the unique pieces we display in the museum. For more information on the program itself and what it means to be a donor, you can check out our past blog post.

Today, we’re highlighting a staff favourite – Romeo Eekerkik’s “Journey to Summer Camp”

Artist: Romeo Eekerkik (1923 – 1983)
Location: Arviat
Date: c. 1970s
Medium: Antler
Dimensions (H x W x D): 6” x 16” x 8”
Collection: Sprott/MIACollection

Significance: This piece is a great example of how artists in the Kivalliq Region use caribou antler, a material in great supply in this area, in a skillful way. Romeo takes advantage of all the properties of the medium in this piece, pushing it farther than most other artists. While most antler sculptures usually depict figures that are tall and skinny, here he uses the antler temporally, depicting a physical journey in space. He shifts the antler horizontally to create a base and then carves proportional figures.

Adoption Rate: $500

To adopt this piece, contact our curator Alysa at aprocida [at] miamuseum [dot] ca.

– Posted by Brittany Holliss, MIA’s Visitor Services Officer