North 2003
Section Index
Arts & Crafts in Northern Canada
Art employs 4,000 in NunavutSkills, revenue fading as markets dwindle and artists age / Canada Council makes $33,000 purchase
Nunavut has long been famous for its beautiful carvings and weaving. But the value of the territory's arts sector is more than just beauty.
Arts dollars reach the greatest number of the Inuit population compared to other industries. As many as 4,000 Inuit work as artists, more people than government, tourism, mining, fisheries or business.
Artworks are created in every Nunavut community, from the Baffin to Cambridge Bay. In major centers like Iqaluit, artists stroll through government buildings, businesses and door-to-door selling direct to consumers.
Shrinking numbers
Many artists sell to local Co-op stores which pass the work on to galleries in the South. There are 24 Co-op stores in Nunavut buying carvings from community Inuit artists.
The number of artists in Nunavut is shrinking and aging with fewer young people learning the necessary skills. Prices are also falling.
The American trade ban on marine mammal products has strong implications for Northern artists. Seal skin, walrus ivory and carved narwhal tusks cannot be exported to the US.
The Nunavut Arts and Crafts Association was formed in 1998 to represent Nunavut artists. With 250 members, the association has established a Nunavut Art Bank and wants to have an art officer in each community.
The officer would encourage new ideas, develop local training, and assist in taking artwork directly from artists to southern galleries in Canada, the United States and Europe.
Support for artists
The North West Company is a key player in promoting Northern arts and crafts. With 152 outlets across Canada and Alaska, the company retails $40 souvenirs and $50,000 pieces for collectors.
Last spring, Nunavut artists were the beneficiaries of a special Canada Council Art Bank purchase. Thirty-nine pieces valued at $33,000 were selected from Nunavut artists. Artists from Clyde River, Kimmirut, Cape Dorset, Iqaluit, Igloolik, Rankin Inlet, Baker Lake, Pangnirtung and Qikiqtarjuaq are represented in the purchases.
-Updated August 2003
