Michele LeTourneau
Northern News Services

Whitehorse (Mar 20/00) - Think Arctic Winter Games. What immediately comes to mind? Maybe arctic sports, Dene games? Maybe skies or hockey sticks? Certainly not a paint brush, a pencil or a group of young visual artists.

Well, it's time to stretch the boundaries of the games, just like the Whitehorse Host Society did for the year 2000 version.

This year, they introduced the Visual Arts Mentorship Program (VAMP) -- rounding off the cultural program. Joining their athletic and performance counterparts, young artists had the opportunity to strive for excellence in their area of expertise in the company of fellow artists.

They had the help of two talented mentors, Meshell Melvin and Jackie Olson. Working from nine in the morning to 10 at night, they focused on sharing their methods, learning new ones, and interpreting the Games visually.

"I tried not to have any expectations, in terms of how much work any of the participants had done," says Melvin, an artist out of Atlin in northern British Columbia, of her pre-game thoughts.

"There wasn't really a clear idea about that. So I tried to be really open in my perception of the skills each of the participants were bringing. I was just really surprised at the quality, and the dedication that has come with each of the participants."

The participants ranged in age from 15 to 26 -- from beginning artists to those with more advanced skills.

"Some have got a couple of years of college under their belt. (It's) a real variety of skill level, but a real common passion. Which is what I think is most important for us. If you can work with an impassioned person, then it makes the job pretty easy."

VAMP drew cultural delegates from only four regions in its first year -- Alberta North, Greenland, Nunavik and Yukon -- for a total of 11 young artists.

"It's all come together really well. The group has really come together, supporting one another, offering suggestions to each other, and sharing about the different things that they know. For example, a couple of us spent some time with a couple of the Greenland women, and it just felt so culturally rich to be learning things about a different culture. And that was one of the most beautiful moments...

"The Tuktoyaktuk Drummers and Dancers came in. At first they were a little confused about why they were here. But we jumped in and were drawing them. An incredible body of work came out of that one hour. And at the end, they were talking about their language and the commonalities in language between the Greenlanders and them. So that sort of cultural exchange has really happened here. And, ultimately, that's one of the goals of the Arctic Winter Games."

The VAMP artists also made their presence felt about town, to the surprise of many. Often, athletes or members of the public would ask just who they were and what they were doing.

"Oh, you draw. You draw," says Yukon cultural delegate Anna Crawford, a visual artist and also a member of the dance troupe Leaping Feats.

She's imitating an athlete who, at first, gave her a hard time when he learned what she was doing at the Games. But once she explained there was a practical application to her art -- Crawford not only designed the costumes for the Leaping Feats but she danced with them at the opening ceremonies as well -- his estimation grew.

With that conversation, she admits proudly, she managed to destroy a stereotype. She won respect for art and for herself as an artist.

"We, as a whole, begin to understand more about how artists participate in the culture of a society," continued Melvin.

"So we have been attending cultural and sporting events. People have a number of pieces inspired by cultural events, and, as well, we took our sketch books into the field, as they say, and we went to the Arctic Games. Very interesting. So, again, that's a way in which our members were participating by drawing."

There is a way, said Melvin, in which visual artists take in that experience and put it out again.

"That's an important part of how artists are in the community."

What characterized the games as a whole -- youth supporting each other -- characterized VAMP, and the cultural program as a whole, as well.

Melvin spoke proudly when she noted that competing is less the name of the game than participating -- bonding tends to be intense and lasting.

Does Melvin have a message with future Host Societies?

"I would really hope that it (VAMP) does (continue). For artists, especially in the North, to come together with others who they can relate to on one level, in their artistic process, and to be sharing cross culturally their experiences, I think that is so important, for the artists themselves.

"But also, artists do play an important role in their society, in terms of reflecting their experience, their vision, for their community. And the more you can expand the mind in an experience, the deeper that is ultimately going to enrich the community."

The final Saturday of the games, an open house was held at the VAMP studio. Visitors milled about, taking in the wonderful, exciting work produced during the week -- work that is, for the most part, unfinished.

The work returned with the artists to their own communities, where they will continue to work on them and, ultimately, share the Games with those that weren't able to be present.

"I think continuing the visual arts component is so important because it's the visual artists who are able to take it in and transmit it back."