Darrell Greer
Northern News Services
Published Wednesday, September 19, 2007

RANKIN INLET - The Kivalliq Arts and Crafts Festival is being hailed as a tremendous success by event organizers.

The three-day event was held in conjunction with the Kivalliq Doll Festival and Exhibit, which ran throughout the week in Rankin.

Reanna Sateana models a black sealskin skirt and jacket from the Nunavut Collection at the Kivalliq Arts and Crafts Fashion Show in Rankin Inlet this past week. - Darrell Greer/NNSL photo

The works of more than 50 artists from all seven Kivalliq hamlets were on display at the two events.

Arts festival organizers also produced a fashion show at Simon Alaittuq school which featured a stunning array of traditional fashions, pieces from the Nunavut Collection and a special display of fashions produced by Kivalliq designers.

The garments were modelled by the Kivalliq talents of Megan Siksik, Samuel Ayaruak, Shelly Kingmeatok, Dustin MacDonald, Kaila Anawak-Gamble (front-page photo), Candis Sateana, Lisa Ittinuar, Mikki Adams, Sharon Sateana, Tapaarjuk Friesen, Reanna Sateana and Kerri Tattuinee.

The fashion show drew a large crowd to the school, aided by the appearance of Inuit filmmaker Zacharias Kunuk and international recording star Susan Aglukark of Arviat as guest speakers.

The arts festival wrapped up with an impressive closing ceremony, highlighted by what many believe may have been the last public performance by renowned Rankin elder, Mariano Aupilardjuk.

Aupilardjuk and his wife, Marie, provided the vocals to a pair of Aupilardjuk's compositions, while Johnny Aupilardjuk drum danced for the opening number.

Folk artist Ian Tamblyn was also on-hand for the closing ceremonies.

As a special tribute to Mariano, Tamblyn performed Aupilardjuk's most-famous composition on his travels to New York City.

It was the first time Aupilardjuk's song was performed in English, and was a fitting tribute to one of Nunavut's best-known elders.

Bernadette Dean was hired to help co-ordinate the arts and crafts festival.

She said the festival was a lot of work for many people, but the end result was more than worth the effort.

"Most of the artists were very happy with the way their work was displayed during the three days and the number of sales the event generated," said Dean.

"They were also very, very generous in donating a number of items to be auctioned to raise money for the 2009 Kivalliq Arts and Crafts Festival."

The silent auctions raised more than $1,000 for the 2009 festival.

Dean said the whole idea behind the festival is to make the artists shine.

She said there was a steady flow of people to the Siniktarvik Hotel to view the artists' work, and to the community centre to view the doll festival and exhibition.

"We are very pleased with how well the community supported the two events.

"The fashion show impressed a lot of people.

"We had a steady stream of people come to our display area the next day to get a list of who made the various outfits and to get information on how to place an order.

"So, overall, I'd have to say the festival was a tremendous success."