Malcolm Gorrill
Northern News Services

Inuvik (July 27/01) - Three Delta artists all say the Great Northern Arts Festival provides a great learning opportunity.

This marked the third festival for Michael Drescher Sr. of Inuvik, and he said last week that it's an honour to learn from other artists and perhaps pass on his skills.

Michael Drescher Sr. was one of many Delta artists who took part in the Great Northern Arts Festival. - Malcolm Gorrill/NNSL photo

Drescher was busy making caribou-shaped earrings out of walrus ivory. He also makes broaches out of mammoth ivory, muskox ivory and baleen. He took up acrylic painting this year, and said he's always looking for something new to try.

Drescher said being an artist helps in his job as a teacher, in terms of helping students better understand their culture. Drescher has taught carving at Samuel Hearne secondary school, and more recently taught basic carving and woodworking in Tuktoyaktuk.

Inuvik artist Martin Goodliffe said there's a high energy level among artists and musicians at the festival.

"You feed off everybody," Goodliffe said.

He said organizers do a good job, but said that in some years a certain event, such as swimming or a picnic, was held strictly for artists -- and that it would be nice to have that again.

Goodliffe took the jewelry program at the Inuvik campus of Aurora College last year, as did Robert Buckle of Aklavik.

Buckle won the emerging artist award for jewelry and said the festival provides "an exchange of ideas."

He noted the festival attracts artists and musicians from far away.

"We're really interested in what they do, where they come from," Buckle said.

This was the sixth year in a row Buckle took part in the festival. He said he always drew in school, and got into carving about 10 years ago, and then got into painting.

Buckle and Goodliffe each had a station where they could carve during the festival, and noted it provided a good chance to meet people.

"We get a lot of questions from tourists," Buckle said. "They're interested in what we're doing, what materials we're using."