Yellowknife (Sep 15/06) - In a world where art is undervalued, nearly every artist needs a day job. It's not unusual to see future rock stars slinging coffee, visual artists behind cash registers and semi-pro dancers clearing tables.

Ozgur Culha poses with her photo portfolio, one of the tools of her trade. She also works as an office manager at the Northern Arts and Cultural Centre. - Adam Johnson/NNSL photo

The upside to this situation is the people behind the arts, particularly in Yellowknife, tend to be artists themselves; people who are just trying to make ends meet, or who are paving the way for other artists.

One example is Ozgur Culha, known to many as "Maya." She has been the office manager at the Northern Arts and Cultural Centre (NACC) for nearly two years, co-ordinating volunteers, organizing events and, to a lesser degree, being the cheery voice at the other end of the NACC phone.

"My job is anything and everything, depending on the circumstances," she said with a laugh.

She is also a portrait photographer, whose pictures appear in the Down to Earth Gallery in Old Town, and have shown up in the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre. An upcoming project, funded by a Canada Council for the Arts grant, will see her photograph Yellowknifers to demonstrate the city's diversity.

"Yellowknife is one of the most multicultural communities in Canada," she said. "I will try to show the adaptation skills that people have."

"It's not just immigrants, but also the people of the North and their daily lives."

Contributing to Yellowknife's cultural mosaic, Culha moved to Yellowknife from Turkey two years ago with her husband, Safak.

"We just wanted to give it a try," she said.

"We were a bit adventurous and Canada has the best opportunities for us."

Just over a week ago, Culha and her husband were granted Canadian citizenship, along with more than 100 other new Canadians.

"I feel really special now," she said. "I feel like a part of society."

This newfound freedom seems to have prompted Culha to re-establish her identity in Yellowknife.

Before we started talking, Culha tried to distance herself from the name Maya; a nickname, she says, that she picked up to make her transition to Canadian life easier.

"I heard that if you had a weird name, they would put your resume aside," she said. "Maya just popped into my mind."

She said Ozgur means "a person who is free and independent," clearly a name worth hanging on to.

Though Culha has been earning money as a photographer, she doesn't seem eager to jump into the world of professional photographers.

"The job I have at NACC is not routine," she said.

"Sometimes it can be really stressful, but I work with really special people."