Iqaluit (Mar 20/06) - The sale of Inuit carvings in southern Costco stores is a way to raise awareness about Nunavut art, says the man behind the project.

"Their (Northern artists') main problem is they are thousands of kilometres away from their markets," said Jack Lobos, an entrepreneur from London, Ont.

The Orca Pod by Jacobie Adamie is one of the shadow boxes being sold at a number of southern Costco locations. The carvings are made from baleen and ivory. - photo courtesy of Jack Lobos -

Lobos approached Costco a few months ago with the idea of selling carvings at its stores. He had purchased some carvings during a trip to Iqaluit to visit his daughter. He said when his wife put one of the pieces in a shadow box, he knew he had a winner.

Since convincing Costco, he has been touring the country, selling the shadow boxes in booths at Costco's larger locations. He said he tries to "expose people to Northern lifestyles and traditions" at the stores by explaining how the pieces were made.

The boxes retail for between $100 and $400.

Lobos said his work is primarily a "feel-good project" that he hopes can be taken over one day by a Northern Co-op. At that point, he will "play whatever role they want me to play," he said.

On top of his work as an art wholesaler, Lobos runs E.Z. Industries, a company that converts used PVC into hockey, water polo and soccer nets.

Lobos said in the next few weeks, he will be meeting with Costco Worldwide president Jim Sinegal. He hopes the attention will allow him to sell the boxes on its Canadian and American websites.

Though she has yet to see the pieces, Beth Beattie, director of the Nunavut Arts and Crafts Association, said it's a good opportunity for artists to sell a production line of "more affordable" art, as opposed to more expensive, one-of-a-kind pieces.

"One is the bread and butter that keeps you alive, the other is what fulfils you," she said of the distinction between the two.

However, she was quick to point out that Lobos isn't the only person trying to provide an outlet for Northern artists. She said there are a number of private and public groups wholesaling Northern art. She was also skeptical about Lobos's idea to sell carvings under a co-op situation, as many current co-ops are struggling.

"Artists aren't necessarily businesspeople," she said.

With the installation of broadband Internet across the territory, however, Beattie said there is no reason hamlets couldn't start selling their pieces online.

"You cut out all of the intermediaries, so there's more money for the artists," she said. Also, the money comes in faster, and provides access to a broader market.

"Tastes vary from country to country, so what doesn't sell in one gallery might sell in another," she said.