Rankin Inlet (Mar 02/05) - A pencil drawing by a Rankin Inlet artist has been selected to adorn the cover of NorthwesTel's 2005 Nunavut telephone directory.

The work of Northern artists has been featured on the NorthwesTel directories for the past 22 years.

Rankin Inlet artist Veronique Nirlungayuk is congratulated by NorthwesTel's Brian Maillet for having her pencil drawing selected to adorn the cover of the company's 2005 Nunavut telephone directory. = Darrell Greer/NNSL photo

Veronique Nirlungayuk's drawing, Precious Memory, was unveiled during a special luncheon at the Bay Shore Conference Centre in Rankin on Feb. 24.

The drawing was the first Nirlungayuk had done in the past 20 years.

She says a chance encounter with her supervisor, Joyce Green, led to her winning the contest and its top prize of $1,500.

"When Joyce saw the drawing and realized I had done it, she told me about the contest and said I should enter," says Nirlungayuk.

"I couldn't believe it when I found out I had won.

"I got that excited I was jumping up and down and yelling and screaming.

"People were coming out of their offices to see what was going on."

A sizable crowd of friends, relatives and co-workers were on hand for the unveiling of the directories.

Nirlungayuk, who comes from a family of artists, says Precious Memory is a personal expression of her childhood.

She says one of the faces depicted in the drawing illustrates her feelings during rough periods of her life.

The second face represents more happier times.

"When I think about my childhood, I remember the times when we used to live out on the land going hunting and stuff and I know my dad would want me to move on.

"So, the other side of the face represents moving on and looking ahead to a better future."

The art was unveiled by NorthwesTel technician Brian Maillet.

He says when he was asked to take part in the unveiling, he jumped at the opportunity.

"It was really nice to do the unveiling for a local artist in front of her family and friends," says Maillet.

"You could see how happy she was to receive it and that made the day even more special."