Kanangina – Cape Dorset Calendar, Wil Hudson, 1977

In 1972, Vancouver printer Wil Hudson moved to Baffin Island to help establish a letterpress workshop at the West Baffin Eskimo Co-operative Ltd. in Cape Dorset. His role included training young Inuit artists in printing and typography. The position was originally offered to Stan Bevington at Coach House Press, but Bevington, then deeply committed to his growing Toronto shop, declined. It is quite likely that Allan Fleming, who had professional ties to both men, played a part in connecting Hudson with the Co-operative.

The 1977 calendar was the first typographic production from the Co-operative’s workshop. It pairs Hudson’s understated, classical typography with thirteen seasonal engravings by Inuit artist Kanangina (Kananginak Pootoogook). Each illustration is accompanied by short texts written by the artist, reflecting the seasonal rhythms and traditional activities of Inuit life.

Printed entirely at Cape Dorset in a numbered edition of 500 copies – each signed by Kanangina – this calendar is a remarkable convergence of Indigenous art and fine press printing. Hudson’s sensitivity to both the content and cultural context resulted in a modest yet masterful piece of Canadian typographic history. – Rod McDonald

https://www.williambritchie.com/on-the-retirement-of-wil-hudson-master-printer-and-typographer-by-laura-walz/on-the-retirement-of-wil-hudson-master-printer-and-typographer-by-laura-walz

Artifact Text

The art presented in this calendar consists of 13 original blocks cut by Kanangina, used here exclusively, with texts reflecting traditional Inuit life written by the artist. This calendar has been wholly composed and printed at Cape Dorset, in an edition of 500 copies which are numbered and signed by Kanangina.

Number (210/500)  Artist (signed)

© Copyright West Baffin Eskimo Co-operative Ltd.