Men looking forward to first Jewelry show
Darrell Greer
Northern News Services
Coral Harbour (Feb 21/01) - Craftsmen in Coral Harbour are learning a whole new approach to their art.
A metal jewelry program is being offered through Nunavut Arctic College for the first time in Coral.
Adult educator Leonie McKitrick was a driving force behind the course becoming a reality.
McKitrick says there are 11 men enroled in the program, including one unilingual elder.
She says the course began Jan. 15 and is progressing well.
"There are a number of talented carvers in Coral who make jewelry, but they have only used traditional materials in the past, such as ivory and antler," says McKitrick.
"I've never seen a local Inuit artist produce any form of metal jewelry."
McKitrick says course funding was finally secured through the Iqaluit Fine Arts and Crafts program.
"I became the community adult educator this past July, but there were people before me who were asking for this program for a long while.
"I was lucky enough to be in this position when the money finally came through."
Toronto instructor Susan Stopps has been hired to teach the course.
Funding has only been secured for the first of the two-semester program, but the college is actively seeking additional monies to continue the program.
"The first semester ends April 3. We hope to have funding to run the second semester from September to December and then start a second first-semester program in January of 2002.
As at the Kivalliq campus in Rankin Inlet, the Coral program will be holding occasional jewelry shows to highlight the artist's work.
McKitrick says the 11 students seem to be enjoying the program and are already looking forward to hosting their first show.
She says community response has been favourable, with people coming into the college to view the studio where the students are working.
"The hamlet council offered us a building to use for the program free of charge, but we felt the space already put in place suited the program. "However, the offer alone shows how welcome the course is to the community."
For more on jewelry program, please see page 11.
