Rankin Inlet (Aug 09/06) - The artist responsible for a unique Canadian project will be arriving in Rankin Inlet later this month.

Jim Kogelheide will be holding a special event to showcase his artwork and share stories of his travels with the community.

He'll also be doing a special youth arts program for kids aged 10 to 15.

Kogelheide, of London, Ont., has been travelling the country since 1998 working on his project, Canada: Glorious to Be.

The project will eventually see a specific piece of artwork placed in every province and territory.

"I've just completed the artwork for Nunavut and I'll be talking about the project while in Rankin and donating the piece to the community," says Kogelheide.

"When I began the project in 1998, I planned for it to take about a year.

"It's six years later and it will be another 13 years before it's complete.

"So by the time I'm finished, it will have taken 20 years of my life."

Kogelheide will be in Rankin from Aug. 17-30.

There will be no charge for the children's art program.

Kogelheide supplies all the materials and, when the program is finished, the kids get to keep their canvasses.

A site for the program has not been finalized.

Kogelheide has been an artist for the past 10 years, donating his work to churches, hospitals and schools.

He will be unveiling the Nunavut portion of his art project at an Earth Day event at the Siniktarvik Hotel on Aug. 29 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

"I believe, as an artist, it's my responsibility to share my gift with as many people as possible without making money from it.

"My wife (Joanne) isn't always too happy about it, but that's what my artwork means to me."

Kogelheide says one of the biggest philosophies incorporated in his artwork is a sense of community.

His trip to Rankin marks the first holiday he's taken since he and Joanne moved back to Ontario about two years ago.

"Nunavut is the fifth of the 13 renderings to be complete.

"We previously completed the B.C., Manitoba, Ontario and Nova Scotia segments, and we'll travel to another province in about two years."

Once completed, Canada: Glorious to Be will be the biggest cross-continental, inter-connected and animated rendering series in the world.

Although each piece varies in size and material, every mural is of the same scale. "When it's finished, I'll have 13 images all the same size and all connected.

"When placed in sequence and set to motion, I will have created an animated film on the people, history, landscape and future of Canada."