Michele LeTourneau
Northern News Services

NNSL (July 05/99) - Northern arts festivals aren't restricted to the North. Introducing Northern Encounters, a festival of circumpolar art that intends to take Toronto by storm come July 7.

"In the heat of July, a gust from the Far North brings some of the best aboriginal artists from Northern Canada, Greenland, Finland, Norway, Sweden and Russia to Toronto," says a statement from festival organizers.

"Northern Encounters '99 is a unique opportunity for southern Canadians to see that the Inuit, Inuvialuit, Sami and other Northern Aboriginals are not isolated groups but rather a thriving, international circumpolar culture."

Festival locations for this two-week extravaganza include the McMichael Art Collection, Kleinberg, the Art Gallery of Ontario, Bravo! NewStyleArts Channel, Ontario College of Art & Design, Nathan Phillips Square, Metro Hall Square and BCE Place.

Nunavut and the Northwest Territories will be well represented. The Ashoona family of Cape Dorset will attend. Present will be Kiawak Ashoona, whose carvings are dispersed throughout the world and whose rendering of Sedna is featured on a Canadian postage stamp. Ashoona's work has been shown in over 75 exhibitions throughout Canada, the United States and in Europe. It is common practice to offer one of his pieces to visiting dignitaries.

Joining Kiawak are his wife Sorroseeleetu, who creates wall-hangings. His daughter Goota, a doll-maker; and cousin Ohito, a carver; as well as his son-in-law Robert Kussy, a bone carver, will also be there.

Kussy has also been acting as liaison for the artists, filling out grant applications and generally organizing the NWT and Nunavut representatives.

"It's been a real hairy preparation period, I'm still under the gun, but we're pretty much ready to go. The government of the NWT, city hall, have been very supportive. We have piles and piles of NWT pins. Sam and Joe (twin sons) will be shooting pins out at people. Nunasi has been really, really good. You name it, they've done it," says Kussy.

Kussy says great thanks are due to many Northern cultural organizations and government departments.

Matt Nuqingaq of Iqaluit, formerly from Broughton Island and an accomplished jewelry-maker, will join the group. Carver Josiah Niulaalik, son of the famous Baker Lake graphic artist Jessie Oonark, plans to attend as does Oonark's daughter, Miriam Qiyuk. She is considered a highly original sculptor and textile artist.

Add to the list Nancy Pukingnak, artist in drawing and sculpture; David Pelechaty, knife-maker; Potoogook Qiatsuk, jeweller and brothers Qiatsuk and Plaaya, also artists. Not to mention Billy Merkosak, Toonoo Sharky and Archie Beaulieu. The list goes on.

"Northern artists are talented, with a diverse range of skills," says Kussy.

"This is the first international circumpolar arts event to be held in a major metropolitan centre, with access to a large block of the public. It's important for everyone, for everything that exists here, tourism included, whether or not there are immediate returns."