.
Search
 Email this articleE-mail this story  Discuss this articleWrite letter to editor  Discuss this articleOrder a classified ad  Print this page

New site launches artists onto the web

Adam Johnson
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Sep 29/06) - In any city where there is a lot of art, but only so much wall space, art always finds a way.

This week, it found its way through Real Eyes, a website dedicated to emerging Northern artists, which launched this weekend at Centre Square Mall.

NNSL Photo/graphic

Yellowknife artist and "art healer" Elyse Parchoma reflects on her latest project, Real-eyes.ca, a website dedicated to emerging Northern artists. - Adam Johnson/NNSL photo


The multimedia project was spearheaded by artist and "art healer" Elyse Parchoma. It features profiles and art of local painters, photographers, models, makeup artists, storytellers and more.

"I believe that art is a resource for people to help them digest the hard things in life," she said of her motivations for the project. "It's a source of comfort and inspiration."

With these goals in mind, the website is linked with agencies designed to provide comfort - the Centre for Northern Families and the Aboriginal Family Resource Centre.

She said the project has been under way for two years, when she first applied for funding through Canadian Heritage.

Since then, the project has been a blur of artist applications, filmmaking, conceptual design and web design, provided by Yellowknife graphic designer Beth Covvey.

The opening of the website featured song and story from Haida storyteller Roberta Kennedy, a spoken word performance from April Parchoma, as well as a song from Ruth Heijne. All three artists are featured on the website, along with photographer Ozgur Culha, musician Sandra Pringle and many others.

"It's important for expression, especially healthy expression, to be honoured in our society," April said before her performance.

Aside from artist pages, the site also contains profiles of Northern elders, such as Elizabeth Mackenzie from Behchoko, which was researched by Elyse.

"That experience really changed my life. It struck a chord with the wisdom elders have out there that they want to share," she said.

"I hope to have more time to spend with elders in this community."

The website is available for viewing at www.real-eyes.ca.