Anne-Marie Jennings
Northern News Services

INUVIK (Jun 22/98) - Over 100 artists and musicians are set to take Inuvik by storm this summer during the 10th annual Great Northern Arts Festival.

The festival, which brings together the artistic community of the North, will welcome participants from more than 35 communities across the NWT, as well as artists from across Canada. In addition, participants from New York City and Ireland have also been invited to attend.

Among the artists scheduled to attend are carvers, painters, jewellers, photographers, printmakers and woodworkers. Invited artists will run workshops -- open to both artists and the public alike -- during the run of the festival. Artists which have been invited to Inuvik include Sarah Kuptana from Sachs Harbour, Billy Merkosak from Pond Inlet and Sonny McDonald from Fort Smith.

Musicians who will be in Inuvik next month come from a number of different backgrounds, and have all made their way to communities across the North. Among the musicians who will grace the stage in Inuvik are Lucy Idlout, Tom Hudson, Delta Flood, Jerry Alfred and the Medicine Beat.

In addition, this year's festival will be receiving some international attention. From New York City, Ron Cubbison will be bringing his artwork to the festival. Jane Carr, who is also from the Big Apple, will bring her egg tempura painting to Inuvik to showcase during the festival.

And from a little further away, documentary painter Cathy Henderson is scheduled to make the trip across the ocean from Ireland to Inuvik.

The 10th anniversary of the festival will be marked with the unveiling of a sculpture commissioned by the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development to recognize the contributions of the festival to the North.

The Great Northern Arts Festival is scheduled to take place July 17-26 at Sir Alexander Mackenzie school in Inuvik.