Rankin Inlet (May 05/04) - A total of six artists from the Matchbox Gallery in Rankin Inlet will be having their work showcased in Bern, Switzerland, this month.

The show is mainly ceramic work, but the group will also have prints, drawings and paintings on display.

Gallery owner Jim Shirley said the opportunity arose when Motha Cerny, co-manager of the Cerny Gallery, bought a couple of ceramic pieces in Iqaluit during the territorial arts festival.

"She (Cerny) liked them enough to ask for more, which we sent," said Shirley.

"She liked those, as well, so she proceeded to organize a show at the Cerny Gallery in Bern."

The grand opening of the Bern exhibit is slated for May 19, and will be the first major showing of Matchbox work in Europe.

The work of Pierre Aupilardjuk, Jack Nuviak, John Kurok, Yvo Samgushak, Lucy Sanertanut and Roger Aksadjuak will be on display.

The art will also be shown in Vienna, Austria, and, possibly, Paris, France.

Although funding is only being provided for the art itself, Shirley said he may pay out of his own pocket to make the trip.

"It's an opportunity to network with people who may have additional interest in showing our work.

"We'll be looking for grant funding to send some of our artists to future showings."

The Cerny Gallery picked up the high cost of having the art shipped to Switzerland for the commercial showing.

"The Cerny Gallery isn't going to pay the shipping out of the goodness of its heart.

"The owners are going to try to sell these pieces to recover their cost."

Shirley often refers to the Matchbox Gallery as a Co-op operation.

The gallery buys the work directly from its artists while still in a green state, before going through the firing-and-finishing processes.

"It wouldn't work if people had to wait a month to get paid for what they do.

"With the artists already paid, any money generated by the sale of pieces at the show will come back to the Matchbox Gallery."

Shirley said Europe is a brand-new market for the gallery and its artists are optimistic their work will be well received.

"As far as hand building is concerned, the work being produced at the Matchbox Gallery is on a par with anything in the world."