Serie - Galleries and Cooperatives

15 cm of textual records and other material

Inuit Cooperatives were created in the 1950s as a means to provide income and to serve as vehicles for the development of a local economy. Although cooperatives are multi-purpose, their most successful activity has been the production of stone carvings and prints for sale on the international art market. Inuit Cooperatives belong to one of two centralized federations. Northern Quebec Coops are members of the Federation des Cooperatives du Nouveau-Quebec, which is based in Montreal. Nunavut and Northwest Territories Cooperatives are members of Arctic Cooperatives Ltd., based in Winnipeg. During the period covered by the records described here George Swinton conducted research on the art of specific individuals or communities, corresponded with holders of major collections of works and was also engaged in actively purchasing works for his personal collection.

Materials described here date from 1964 to 1982 and consist of lists of works held by various galleries and cooperatives and/or offered for sale, correspondence between George Swinton and various galleries requesting his opinion on specific works or requesting information (and vice versa).

Arrangement of folders and contents has been maintained as found with the following exceptions:
-items that were previously housed as part of a separate series titled ‘Commercial/Galleries Sales’ have been combined with this series;

• items that were previously housed as part of a separate series titled ‘Inuit Cooperatives’ have been combined with this series;