In 2016, a former Disney animator gave his followers a challenge: draw a mermaid every day for the month of May. Today, prompts motivate people to make pieces of mermaid art.

Worlds on Paper: Drawings from Kinngait continues at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection to Aug. 24. Editor’s note: A previous version of this article incorrectly credited a 1963 muskox print ...

Image of ‘Boon-ga-ree’ by Phillip Parker King. Phillip Parker King, album of drawings and engravings, 1802–1902, PXC 767, Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales.