Renowned Canadian Inuit artist, Kenojuak Ashevak works in prints, drawings and sculpture, and is considered by many people to be one of this country’s greatest living artists. A Companion of the Order of Canada and recipient of the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation’s lifetime achievement award, the 78-year old resident of Cape Dorset is a recent inductee into Canada’s Walk of Fame.

She is also a Christian. And when she was approached to design a stained glass window to mark the 75th anniversary of the John Bell Chapel at Appleby College in Oakville, Ontario, Ashevak was quick to look to the Bible for her inspiration.

Her favourite Bible story is that of Christ feeding the multitude with a few loaves and fishes. It is a story that speaks of God’s love and provision for his people. To Ashevak, the story also embodies the spirit of the Inuit community, where no one is allowed to go hungry.

In creating the design for the window, Ashevak included an arctic char - a fish and food source native to the Arctic, where it can be found in abundance.

During a recent commemorative service held before Appleby College staff, students and guests, Andrew Atagotaaluk, Anglican diocesan bishop of the Arctic described the window as “a rare and special window”. He said the arctic char and the snowy owl-which the window also depicts-are abundant, ever present and represent, “sustenance of life”.

Atagotaaluk also gave the meaning of the window’s symbols a wider context. He explained that the fish is an ancient symbol representing Christ, and that for Christians a white dove represents the Holy Spirit. “For Christians in the far north, the snowy owl is just as much a symbol of God’s presence,” he said.

School chaplain, Rev. Robert Lennox, commissioned the window. “We wanted to commission an artist who could create something uniquely Canadian, whose art reflects the school’s philosophy and who would also find a connection with our students,” said Lennox.

The stained glass window was a truly Canadian endeavour. Ashevak’s design was translated into glass by Toronto stained glass artist, Sue Obata with the help of Sattler Stained Glass Studio in Nova Scotia. It took a group of five people at Sattler, working more than a month to produce the actual window.

Titled “IGGALAAQ-Where the Light Comes Through,” the window measures 7’ wide by 12 3/4’ tall. It features a vibrant blue background, the school’s official colour.

Appleby College is an independent school for young men and women Grades 7 - 12. The John Bell Chapel is a centre of inter-faith worship and dialogue for the students, and is rooted in the Anglican tradition.