Great Northern Arts Festival

Well what a good week to arrive in Inuvik! The Great Northern Arts Festival is going on all week and will be culminating this coming weekend during Inuvik’s 60th anniversary celebrations.

So while Kyle has had to go to work and slave away, I have been busy at the arts festival! One of the artists teaching a workshop at the festival happened to be camping at the next camp site over from us. She and her husband had lived in the NWT for about 40 years and have only recently retired to their current home down south. I was late to the festival Monday so only had a short time to familiarize myself with the goings on. But, since then...

I have had wonderful chats with some of the artists and have learned how to make an elegant porcupine quill bracelet. I am presently learning how to bead using tanned moosehide, seal hide and beads, and was lucky enough to be offered some muktuk! I would show you a picture of the moose hair tufted broach I am making but after thinking I had almost completed it, the artist teaching me was testing the “tufts” to make sure they were secure and.... they were not. The tufting pulled out and I watched about two hours of work fall apart. 😞

I have yet to make it to the carvers’ tent!Read more