The Government of Nunavut is extending its long-running partnership with the Winnipeg Art Gallery-Qaumajuq, an arrangement that will see the gallery continue caring for and curating part of the territory’s fine art collection through 2030.

The agreement allows the museum to house more than 7,000 works of art from the territorial government’s collection, provide curatorial services and collaborate on special projects, said a May 20 statement released by the GN.

Nunavut will contribute $715,000 over five years in support of the agreement.

“I am pleased to continue working with the WAG on the long-term care of our fine art collection,” said Premier P.J. Akeeagok, who also serves as minister of culture and heritage, in the statement.

“It is important for our government to ensure our world-class collection is protected and stored properly while we work to repatriate them.”

The agreement stems from a broader memorandum of understanding signed between the governments of Nunavut and Manitoba in 2015, focused on cultural preservation and the promotion of Inuit art in Canada’s North.

The GN is also continuing working toward its long-term goal of repatriating the collection once it can.

“In the coming years, we will continue to collaborate closely with local heritage centres, museums, and community hamlets to create appropriate and meaningful spaces to house and exhibit these works within our territory,” said Elizabeth Alakkariallak, communications officer with the Department of Culture and Heritage.

Plans remain underway for the proposed Nunavut Inuit Heritage Centre, expected to be completed by 2030. Once established, the facility in Iqaluit would serve as a central space to showcase and preserve the territory’s cultural heritage.

The Inuit Heritage Trust is also developing the Nunavut Heritage Network to share traditional knowledge across the territory. It would  guide the way the new centre offers programming in Iqaluit and elsewhere.

In a separate statement May 26, WAG-Qaumajuq reiterated its support for the eventual return of the collection to Nunavut.

“Our long-term vision of Qaumajuq as a sister institution to heritage spaces in Inuit Nunangat remains top of mind,” said Catherine Maksymiuk, head of engagement and advancement, in the statement.