Laura Power
Northern News Services
Published Monday, December 17, 2007

TUKTOYAKTUK - In many Northern families, artistic ability is passed down from generation to generation. That's true for Mary Anne Taylor, a carver from Tuktoyaktuk.

"My dad was a carver," she said. "Out of seven of his kids, five of us carve."

Skilled Tuktoyaktuk carver Mary Anne Taylor displays her piece titled Whale Hunt (First Arrival) at Kitti Hall. She learned her skills from her father and said among her and her six brothers and sisters, five of them have grown up to be talented carvers. - John Curran/NNSL photo

She and her siblings Derrald, Ronnie, William and Berna take after their late father, Bobby Taylor Pokiak, who spend much of his time carving.

Taylor remembers him using traditional tools to carve images of animals, mainly with whalebone and caribou antler.

"If he wasn't working, he was carving," she said.

His children, on the other hand, use electric tools for their work, and while Taylor uses caribou antler, she also uses soapstone and muskox horn.

"This year I did it full-time," she said. "I was carving right from June 1 right 'til now - I'm still carving."

Her artistic side really came out in the past six years, during which she has featured her work several times at the Great Northern Arts Festival in Inuvik.

Her work has been popular at the festival. In 2003, 2005 and 2007 she won the artists' choice award, and in 2005 she also won the people's choice award.

Like her father, many of Taylor's carvings depict wildlife. But she also carves fishermen and kayakers, and has a few original carvings, including one of a woman sewing mukluks. One finished mukluk - made of deerskin and fur - sits beside her as she works on another.

In August, Taylor received an order from Shell Canada to create 150 inuksuks.

"Me and my daughter Marion took that order," she said.

Continuing in the family tradition, her daughter began carving about three years ago, making mainly mobiles, miniatures and windchimes.

"She's doing well with her work," she said. "She picks up really fast."

Another order for 100 inuksuks for the recent wind conference kept Taylor busy during the fall, but she doesn't plan to keep going full-time with the work.

While her daughter continues carving, Taylor plans to keep at it part-time for a few years.