by Janet Smellie
Northern News Services

NNSL (Sep 15/97) - While politics continue to plague printmakers in Baker Lake, the 1997 collection, including some of the finest works to ever come from the community, is now being marketed throughout North America.

Thanks to the tireless efforts of the artists and Kyra Fisher, the new series was launched this past weekend at 12 galleries across Canada and in the United States.

"It was a tremendous amount of work, it's still a lot of work," Fisher told xxxNews/North on a break from matting some of the prints that they will be shipping to prospective buyers.

Artists in Baker Lake have been in the business of printmaking for more than 50 years when Jessie Oonark and other artists of her generation helped put the community on the international map with their craft.

Made from stonecuts combined with stencil, the prints offered colors unique to the printmaking world. But in the 1980s, when the Sanavik Co-op in the community decided to expand the retail side of its operation (to expand their T-shirt manufacturer), printmakers were left without a shop and headed for the extinction list.

The art form was revived for two years thanks to Nunavut Arctic College, which payed Fisher to travel north from Calgary and spent the next two years working out of a cold, dank garage the hamlet was kind enough to offer them.

But now, with the program over, and the college not renewing the course, Fisher and the artists have spent the summer doing everything from manufacturing the prints to marketing them on their own.

"I haven't been employed since May when the program funding ended, but because of the inspiration of the artists I was determined to get this series out there," Fisher says.

Unlike other printmaking series, in which two or more artists can be involved in the end product of a print, Fisher says because it was part of on Arctic College program, the artists did everything themselves.

"They look fabulous, the prints are very exclusive because this is the only time that prints of this nature have been done by one artists from start to finish."

The prints have been distributed to 12 galleries including Houston North in Nova Scotia, Isaac's Innuit Gallery in Toronto, Gallery Indigena in Stratford, Ont., and the Upstairs Gallery in Winnipeg as well as galleries in San Francisco and Washington.

The collection includes work of Janet Kisusiuq-Uqayuittuq, Oonark's eldest daughter, who's now in her 70s.

"Her drawings were just shown in Paris, yet her very art may not be passed on because of politics," Fisher says.

"Next year is the 50th anniversary of Inuit modern art. I would hope with the advent of Nunavut people would try to maintain the artistic heritage. Instead I see money going into training for technology and, frankly, they're forgetting about the arts."

"What kills me about all of this is that these people, who don't have a lot of education can still make a living from their art. People don't come to Baker Lake to see a construction company at work, they come to see the art."

Fisher says it will costs printmakers about $2,000 per month just for operating expenses during the cold months, and says while the printmakers have formed a society and are collecting some donations to survive, their future is still unknown.

"It's important to remain optimistic.

If you'd like to make a donation or order a catalogue of the new series contact fisher at Box 144, Baker Lake, NT, X0C 0AO.