Helen Kalvak

Helen Kalvak was a well-known graphic artist and a key figure in the art co-operative in Ulukhaktok (Holman), NWT. Born at Tahiryuak Lake, Victoria Island in 1901, Kalvak was trained as a shaman from childhood. She lived a traditional migratory lifestyle with her family until the death of her husband in 1960, at which point, Kalvak moved to Ulukhaktok and helped establish the Holman Eskimo Co-operative, later renamed the Ulukhaktok Arts Centre. Between 1962 and 1978, Kalvak produced more than 1,800 drawings, over 150 of which were made into stencil prints and lithographs issued in the annual Holman Island print editions.
For Kalvak, the importance of art is deeply rooted in the idea that her success as an artist was directly connected to success for her family. Instilling this value on her granddaughter, graphic artist Julia Manoyok Ekpakohak, Kalvak taught her that drawing can be both a means of expression, as well as a way to support herself and her family.
Kalvak accomplished many achievements over her lifetime, including becoming a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts in 1975, and becoming a member of the Order of Canada in 1978. Her drawing,The Dance, was made into a Canada Post stamp in 1981. Kalvak’s works have been exhibited recently at the ULAG in the 2018 Recent Acquisitions: Highlights from the Collection of Dr Margaret (Marmie) Perkins Hess and in the 2019 exhibit, From the Collection.