Dr. Heather Igloliorte

Biography

Heather Igloliorte (Inuk-Newfoundlander, Nunatsiavut) is an internationally-renowned curator and art historian whose work centers on circumpolar Inuit Indigenous arts and knowledge in global art contexts. Her focus includes contemporary art exhibitions, public art installations, museum collecting practices, and new media art film productions. She emphasizes Indigenous perspectives on creativity, particularly through training and mentoring Indigenous youth in remote northern communities. Igloliorte aims to decolonize institutions and challenge colonialist understandings of resilience, health, and resources. In 2023, she held the Tier 1 University Research Chair in Circumpolar Indigenous Arts and served as an associate professor in the Department of Art History at Concordia University. There, she co-directed the Indigenous Futures Research Centre and led the nation-wide Inuit Futures Arts Leadership initiative from 2018 to 2025, which supports Inuit postsecondary students in exploring professional career paths in various arts domains. With an extensive curatorial career since 2005, she has created or co-created over 30 projects, including significant exhibitions such as "We Far Away": Inuit Experience Residential Schools and INUA: Inuit Nunangat Ungammuaktut Atautikkut. Her work has garnered awards, including the 2017 Award for Outstanding Achievement in Education from the Canadian Museums Association and the 2021 Hnatyshyn Foundation's Award for Curatorial Excellence in Contemporary Art, making her the first Indigenous person to receive the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts Medal.

Research Interests