Thebacha/Fort Smith

Fort Smith metal group State of the Art has been chosen as part of the bill for this year's Folk on the Rocks festival.

In the past few months, the group has been recording a new full-length CD and has toured a few communities within the NWT.

This year's festival is running on the theme Global Fusion, and will include artists such as indie-rock group Malajube, Ndidi Onukwulu and Elliott Brood.

MP3s of many of the bands, including State of the Art, can be found on the festival's website.

Call to Deh Cho artists

Liidlii Kue/Fort Simpson/

Artists within the Deh Cho area wishing to take part in this summer's Open Sky Festival are being called upon to get their submissions in as soon as possible.

The deadline for artists outside the area has already passed, but local artists have until Thursday, May 15 to send in their stuff.

The festival will take place at the end of June and will revolve around the theme of craftwork/craftsmanship.

Inuvik library launches family literacy program

Inuvik

Every Wednesday night is the best time for family reading at the library.

Assistant librarian Valerie Townsend said the family literacy program has been going well so far.

The reading starts at 7 p.m. Each family is given a book to take home and read.

During the evening, the families are encouraged to do crafts that are connected to the story of the week.

Townsend said to contact Melanie Adams, who works at the library as well, for more information.

- Dez Loreen

One Minutes video screening

Iqaluit

Close to 20 people attended a public screening of the Iqaluit One Minutes videos May 3 at the Francophone Centre in Iqaluit.

The 60-second videos were produced by participants of a video workshop in April organized by the Embrace Life Council and Ikummaksaqtiit (Flamekeepers' Society) in collaboration with The One Minutes Foundation.

"The workshop ran from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day," said Qajaaq Ellsworth, a co-ordinator for the Embrace Life Council.

The One Minutes Foundation is a non-profit organization located in Amsterdam that promotes visually stimulating work within a one-minute video.

Volunteers needed for Alianait! Arts Festival

Nunavut

Looking for a week of music, entertainment and fun?

The Alianait! Arts Festival will take place June 21 to July 2.

This year, the festival will need more than 200 volunteers. Along with regular volunteers, Alianait! will require team captains to help with specific segments of the festival.

"We need people for everything," said Lorraine Land, who is helping with volunteer recruitment. Volunteer positions include set-up, child care, billeting musicians, painting the mural and photographing events.

Jazz up your weekend

Iqaluit

Inuksuk high school will be putting on a jazz concert at the Parish Hall in Iqaluit on Sunday, May 25 at 2 p.m.

The concert, a fundraiser for the rebuilding of St. Jude's Cathedral, will feature the school's seven jazz band students, as well as two adults from the community.

Iqaluit East MLA Ed Picco will host the event, which will feature a program of jazz standards and vocal performances.

The show will be different from previous concerts, said Adrian Fernandes, music teacher and director of the jazz band at the high school.

"The musicians will be improvising blues solos, which is something they learned this year," he said.

Fernandes encourages the audience to bring their own instruments along for a blues jam session after the concert.