Yellowknife (Aug 04/06) - A new market has popped up outside of Yellowknife City Hall, featuring local artists, craftspeople and entrepreneurs.

The Yellowknife City Market has been running for the last three weeks, showcasing a variety of local and out-of-town talent.

Yellowknife carver Martin Goodliffe shows off "The Emerging North," a one-of-a-kind cup he put on display this weekend during the Yellowknife City Market outside of city hall. - Adam Johnson/NNSL photo

"It gives artists and small businesspeople a venue where they can sell products and display something for local people and tourists," said organizer John Dalton.

Just don't call it a flea market.

"What we're looking for is Northern home-based types of things," he said. "It's not a flea market-like approach."

This weekend, the goods on display included carvings from Martin Goodliffe and Bruce Hamilton, knives made by returning Yellowknifer Ed McRae, jewelry from Rose Jerace, returning Northerner Mike Krutko selling his memoirs and a kiosk for the Yellowknife Glass Recyclers.

"It's a good way to get your name out," said Goodliffe, as he demonstrated some carving during his third week at the market.

Goodliffe specializes in smaller carvings and jewelry, ("I'm a big guy who makes little things," he joked) but had one notable large piece on display.

He called it "The Emerging North," an ornate silver cup with a moose antler stem, adorned with kimberlite, marcasite and other "Northern materials."

Goodliffe said he hoped to donate the piece to the legislature or the museum, where it could be properly displayed.

"Now it sits in my house," he said. "It doesn't really do it much justice."

Yellowknife Glass Recyclers founder Matthew Grogono was also on hand, showing off the co-op's salvaged and reimagined glass pieces.

He was one of the organizers behind a similar market in the 90s, and said he hoped the idea would spark some "residual good memories."

"Fundamentally, it's a venue for emerging artists," he said. While Dalton said the first couple weeks of the market had been slow, with the one-two punch of Folk on the Rocks and the Yellowknife International Air Show, he saw the larger crowds as a sign of things to come.

"We've had steady people here all day and it will grow," he said. "We've got room for all comers."

The Yellowknife City Market runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays until mid-September.