Where Are They Now: Megan Kyak-Monteith
Since graduating with a BFA from NSCAD University in 2019, Megan Kyak-Monteith’s art career has taken off, including a sold-out solo exhibition at the Marion Scott Gallery, two magazine covers, and several large-scale commissions. Megan currently works full-time out of her home in Halifax, Nova Scotia where, over the past year, she has focused on painting, and digital illustration.
Megan Kyak-Monteith, Image courtesy of Megan Kyak-Monteith
In 2020, Megan’s artwork was featured on the cover of both Inuktitut Magazine and Inuit Art Quarterly. “I knew I was going to get my piece shown in [Inuit Art Quarterly], but I didn’t realize my work would be on the cover! I only found out a week before it was released, and it was super surprising.”
Inuit Art Quarterly Winter 2020 Issue, Cover Art by Megan Kyak-Monteith
Inuktitut Magazine, Winter 2019-2020 Issue, Cover Art by Megan Kyak-Monteith
After seeing the IAQ cover, The Walrus magazine approached Megan to commission an illustration for an article on grief for the magazine’s January / February 2021 issue. Megan was excited to have the opportunity to flex her creative skills and work with subject matter she hadn’t before;“Usually people don’t reach out to commission artwork from me that isn’t specifically to do with the North, so it was really fun to work on.”
Ghost Awake, Commission forThe Walrus Magazine, Megan Kyak-Monteith, 2020. Image courtesy of Megan Kyak-Monteith
Megan says that the galleries she shows at have helped immensely with her growth as an artist. Megan had two solo exhibitions in 2020, Prospect 19: Whale Hunt: I Think Everyone is Here at Mount Saint Vincent University Art Gallery in Halifax early in the year, and We Play The Same at Marion Scott Gallery in Vancouver in the fall. Unfortunately, Prospect 19 was forced to close early due to the pandemic, and all additional programming for both exhibitions, including artist talks and correspondence, shifted to virtual platforms.
Warm Up The Car, Megan Kyak-Monteith, 2020. Image courtesy of Megan Kyak-Monteith.
Megan has also worked on several illustrating projects this past year, including posters for Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, Embrace Life Council’s mental health resource book, a pamphlet on breastfeeding and COVID-19, and graphic design work for Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. Bell Let’s Talk campaign. Much of her year was taken up by these individual commission-based projects, but the highlight of Megan’s year has been working on a series of large-scale paintings for the Marion Scott Gallery, that focus on her experience growing up as an Inuk in Nova Scotia. “The experience with the Marion Scott Gallery was incredible. The reach that they have is so great.” The solo exhibition was an immense success, selling out to a single collector completely, before it had even opened to the public.
POV You Are the LEGO, Megan Kyak-Monteith, 2020. Image courtesy of Megan Kyak-Monteith.
Man Hunt, Megan Kyak-Monteith, 2020. Image courtesy of Megan Kyak-Monteith.
“Start small. Take advantage of what you have around you, and start there. You don’t have to wait until it is the right time to start. Making art for yourself in your spare time really means a lot.”
Self Portrait As A Grandmother, Megan Kyak-Monteith, 2020. Image courtesy of Megan Kyak-Monteith.
Veronica, Megan Kyak-Monteith, Digital Illustration, 2020. Image courtesy of Megan Kyak-Monteith.
Megan has found a support system through her peers working in the same studio building in Halifax. She says finding a sense of community, especially during a pandemic, has been inspiring to her artistic process. “You forget how much you need other artists around. Making art alone isn’t the same. Having the ability to talk through my ideas and paint around other artists is really helpful and comforting.”
The developmental stage of a live 2D Cubism puppet animation project, part of Megan’s experimentation with digital illustrations. 2020. Image courtesy of Megan Kyak-Monteith.
To young Inuit who may be interested in growing a career in the arts, Megan recommends ignoring any pressures to have all of the professional skills and tools ready before they begin. “Start small. Take advantage of what you have around you, and start there. You don’t have to wait until it is the right time to start. Making art for yourself in your spare time really means a lot.”
To learn more about Megan’s involvement with Inuit Futures as an Illiniaqtuk, visit our profiles page.
If you are interested in becoming one of our Inuit Futures Ilinniaqtuit, please visit our contact page to get in touch.