Christine Kay
Northern News Services

Panniqtuuq (Nov 04/02) - The Uqqurmiut Centre in Panniqtuuq is doing better than ever. General manager Peter Wilson said that's because of the people who work there.

The centre opened in 1991 to develop and manage the arts and crafts industry in the community. Wilson said the Uqqurmiut Centre plays a key role in keeping Inuit art alive and is also a way for the artists to make a living -- it's a good source of income.

The three Uqqurmiut buildings house a print shop, a tapestry studio and a retail craft gallery.

Printmakers, carvers and weavers all come together to use the facilities to work.

Art from Panniqtuuq circulates and sells throughout the world. Wilson said the centre has customers from all over North America and some in places like Switzerland, Italy, and France.

When asked what makes Panniqtuuq art such a hot commodity, Wilson said there are several reasons.

"It's the unified efforts of all the artists combined. It's the quality of the work. When you look at a piece you can tell it's from (Panniqtuuq)," said Wilson.

One of the artists working at Uqqurmiut is Noah Maniapik.

His work is featured in the centre's 2001 collection of prints.

Maniapik is an electrician by trade, but he said he likes working at the centre.

"We get ordinary paper and we wax it ourselves. We use the waxed paper for our stencils," said Maniapik.

"The paint we use is oil-based. We use a brush and we dab. The more you dab the darker the colours are," said Maniapik.

Tommy Angnakak, the print shop's coordinator since 1997, said the popularity of Panniqtuuq prints grows every year. He said this year's collection has continued the trend.

"It's doing better than last year's collection. Each year the percentage of sales is getting higher," said Angnakak.

The tapestry studio did not release a collection this year but its success, like that of the print shop, still cannot be questioned.

Weaving was brought into Panniqtuuq 35 years ago and Inuit women have made it their own by incorporating their skills in sewing and bringing local cultural images into the weaving.

The number of full-time weavers at the Uqqurmiut Centre fluctuates but has reached as many as 12 at one time.

The Nuvisavik (The place where we weave) Collection has been on display at the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Hull since February. It will remain there until Sept. 8, 2003.

Wilson said being the centre's general manager has made him realize artistic talent is somehow indigenous to Inuit people. He believes with the support of the Uqqurmiut Centre, artists in Panniqtuuq are striving and will continue to do so.

As for which form of art gets the most attention, Wilson can't say. He said it changes with the season.

"They all share their popularity. The print collection is always released in June so the time leading up to that will be especially exciting for the people in the print shop," he explained.