Daniel MacIsaac
Northern News Services

NNSL (July 30/99) - The Great Northern Arts Festival Society is showing its true colours -- tickled pink and in the black.

In other words, this year's festival, which wrapped up Sunday evening, was both an artistic and financial success for all concerned.

The festival site at the Midnight Sun Recreation Complex was still a hive of activity Monday afternoon as society staff and volunteers compiled the final sales figures and helped visiting artists pack up for the journey home.

This year was Tanya Van Valkenburg's third festival with the society but first as administrator. She credited experience for the success.

"Things ran much more smoothly this year," she said. "We had more administrative systems in place and many of the volunteers working here have done so before."

Van Valkenburg said experienced staff like curator Charlene Alexander, co-ordinator Marilyn Dzanan and sales manager Karen Balanuik are also responsible for producing the festival's highest total sales to date -- $142,294, as compared to $138,671 last year and $109,208 in 1997.

"We had a dip in the middle of last week," she said, "and I don't know how much the weather conditions and driving up the Dempster affected that, but last weekend's sales were as good as last year."

With the society collecting a 30 per cent commission on all artwork sold, plus gift-shop revenue, the administrator said the festival produced 12 per cent, or approximately $40,000, toward its total annual budget -- money that will help produce the 2000 edition of the Great Northern festival next July.

"We're in the black this year," she said, adding that sales figures do not necessarily reflect profitability because half of the festivals in the past have run in the red.

But, of course, the festival was about much more than simple numbers. Most artists said they had travelled to Inuvik mainly for the opportunity to hobnob and network with world-class colleagues and elders and hopefully pick up a few tips in the process.

"It's a chance to get to know carvers from all over Canada and to learn from them," said Mazdak Darehshoripour, an Iranian-born artist who learned his trade in Rankin Inlet, where's he's lived for the past 14 years.

A self-taught carver, Darehshoripour said he loved the cosmopolitan feel of the festival, where Inuit elders worked alongside southern rookies and Northern transplants like himself.

"I try to do my own style and it's absolutely different from the others'," he said, "but I can still learn and people have been showing me how to work with marble."

Allison Simmie was on hand running of the numerous workshops to show interested artists a little bit more how to make a portfolio and market their wares.

"There's a real mix of seasoned and rookie artists here. It's a great atmosphere," said the Ottawa-based Simmie, "and I've been able to get those with portfolios to show and discuss them with the others."

Joseph Haluksit from Holman said he was already benefitting from the experience. Just in his final year of Arctic College's jewelry-making program, Haluksit said he decided to come down to Inuvik to offer his silver and copper earrings and also so that he could learn to work with stone.

Also open to advice was the Yellowknife-based fashion designer Berna Beaulieu -- whose unique blend of traditional and modern clothing has attracted a lot of attention over the past year, and kept her busy in Inuvik.

"I've made a lot of potential customers," she said, "but am just amazed with the elders. I get more tips from them than anyone else."

Van Valkenburg said such encounters are key to the Great Northern's success and make the year's efforts worthwhile.

"It's hard to remember the problems of organizing the festival," she said, "because once it's under way, so many great things happen that cancel out all of the tough things about getting here."