Anne-Marie Jennings
Northern News Services

NNSL (Aug 14/98) - Nestled in between the Gerry Murphy Arena and Yellowknife City Hall, the Fireweed Studio is an assuming landmark in Yellowknife.

From the outside, the heritage building still maintains its original appearance. On the inside, the studio is filled with pottery, cookbooks, and other pieces made by guild members. Lavona Clarke, treasurer of the Yellowknife Guild of Arts and Crafts, has been in charge of the studio for the past three years. She says the original idea behind the opening of the Fireweed Studio was to give members a place to sell their pieces.

"There's only so much you can keep in your house before you have to start getting rid of it," she says. "Taking over the building was a guild idea.

"It's perfect. It's small, but it's big enough for our needs. It's also in a nice location."

By keeping the studio operational, the guild is also maintaining a part of Yellowknife's history, because the building which houses the studio has been designated a heritage site. Once a storage facility for explosives, the building has also served as a blacksmith shop.

Clarke says the studio welcomes pieces from guild members only, and that the public has been very supportive of the studio and the artisans who have items in the studio.

"There are fans of particular potters in town," she says. "We've also had a real increase in the number of tourists who are coming in, because we put a few pieces on display at the Northern Frontier Visitors' Centre."

And the added exposure has appeared to have helped the guild members sell their pieces -- a large number of them.

"Since our opening in July, we have sold 300 pieces," Clarke says. "That's a lot of pottery."

The guild members who are interested in putting their work on display price their items themselves. The guild takes only a small percentage of the price paid for upkeep and operating costs for the studio.

Although pricing may be a daunting task at first, Clarke says that with time comes the experience to know what people will pay for a piece of hand-made pottery or whatever else the members may have to sell.

And for the guild members who do bring their work to the Fireweed Studio, Clarke says there is a definite sense of accomplishment which can be achieved.

"It gives you a goal to work towards, specific times when projects have to be finished. For the people who are just starting out, it gives them the encouragement to keep working."

The studio is open from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through the rest of the summer.