Where Are They Now: Emily Henderson
Recently, we had the chance to catch up with one of our alumni, Emily Henderson, who has spent the past ten months in her new role as Profiles Editor at the Inuit Art Foundation. Emily’s relationship with the IAF goes back to January 2019 when she joined the Inuit Futures Project as an Ilinniaqtuk. During her last year at the University of British Columbia, Emily began working as a Contributing Editor for the print and digital issues of Inuit Art Quarterly, a position that was made possible through Inuit Futures. Emily and her fellow Ilinniaqtuk Napatsi Folger worked together on the compilation and publication of the Venice Biennale Special Issue of the IAQ magazine based on written works and art pieces created by Inuit Futures Ilinniaqtuit at the 58th Venice Biennale in 2019.
Emily working from home in Toronto. As the Profiles Editor for the IAQ, Emily is responsible for maintaining the directory of profiles on historical and contemporary Inuit artists. Photo courtesy of Emily Henderson.
Connecting with other emerging Inuit artists and arts professionals has been meaningful for Emily. “I have a cohort of people my age and we’re growing and going through the same experiences together. We are all in touch, we are all colleagues, we are all friends. We are going to be friends, colleagues and collaborators forever.” Emily credits the project with fostering lasting personal and professional bonds, saying “we work together in the capacities that we do because of Inuit Futures.” She continues to work with mentors Britt Gallpen and Alysa Procida who now supervise her at the IAQ and considers these connections central to the growth of her career. “Inuit Futures set me on the path for the rest of my life. I wouldn’t be where I am now if it wasn’t for Inuit Futures.”
As Profiles Editor, Emily publishes the IAQ Profiles, while also contributing to the Inuit Art Quarterly print magazine and online publications. A typical week for Emily involves editorial meetings, interviewing and keeping in touch with Inuit artists, project planning, and, of course, writing. “It’s kind of a dream job!” She says, “I get to write and talk to Inuit artists all day. I can’t believe that’s real.”
Emily considers the best part of her job to be connecting artists with opportunities. The IAQ Profiles provide artists with a place to promote their work online with a biography, images, exhibition history, filmography, and publications all in one place. For some artists, the IAQ Profiles are one of the few places they have to hold an online presence. “It’s for their own professional use, as well as for the general public of enthusiasts who want to learn more about artists.”
An excerpt from Emily’s letter to her younger self, written as part of the Atiq (Naming Your Soul) series from the Inuit Art Foundation. Read Emily’s letter here.
On October 9th, 2020, Emily launched a new project through IAQ, the Atiq (Naming Your Soul) online series where Inuit artists and writers share stories that look at the way their names shape and influence identity, art and life. “We all have really complicated, fascinating relationships with our names, ” Emily says. “Some people have reclaimed names, they’ve embraced names, they’ve changed names. Being able to provide a platform to tell those stories was the most important thing I did this year.”
Representation plays a key role in Emily’s work at IAQ. “I am making Inuit-led content, with informed consent and in collaboration with Inuit. This content is for them. It’s by them.” Emily says one of the challenges of her new position has been navigating the complex history of the field of Inuit art, but that she and her colleagues are continuously working to reshape relationships and narratives. Well aware of the misrepresentation of Inuit in the media, she uses her platform as a vehicle of Inuit agency. “Something I have come to accept is that I am not always in charge of the dominant narrative, but I can always provide a counter-narrative. I am building meaningful relationships with my community and changing the narrative, one interview at a time, one story at a time.”
“What the Inuit art world needs right now is your voice, and your experience. There is no level in your community in which you are not needed.”
Emily has been awarded funding for the next two years of her current role, and she is looking forward to continuing to develop resources for Inuit artists. She shared that what makes her most proud of her work is being able to assist Inuit artists in finding success in any medium they choose. Emily encourages all young Inuit artists to get involved, seek out mentors, and continuously ask questions. “What the Inuit art world needs right now is your voice and your experience. There is no level in your community in which you are not needed.”
Learn more about Emily Henderson and her recently released project Atiq (Naming Your Soul) at Inuit Arts Quarterly.
If you are interested in becoming one of our Inuit Futures Ilinniaqtuit, please visit our contact page to get in touch.