IQALUIT - With two major festivals right around the corner, Iqaluit is welcoming artists from all over Nunavut and beyond. People involved in both the Alianait Arts Festival and the Nunavut Arts Festival will soon be setting up around the city, giving people music to sing to and art to inspire.

Martha Kunuu of Pond Inlet was at the Nunavut Arts Festival in 2005 with a spot for her sewing and carving. - NNSL file photo

The first to kick off this week is the Nunavut Arts Festival, five-day-long showcase of visual arts which will include exhibits, workshops and presentations. Beth Beattie, executive director of the Nunavut Arts and Crafts Association, said there will be a great number of artists taking part.

"You never know what might show up, because we have 47 people coming in," she said.

The exhibits will cover a variety of mediums, and Beattie said as pieces are finished, more artwork will be added to the displays.

"There'll be carvings, wall hangings, paintings, jewelry, ceramics - you name it," she said.

On top of the visual arts, there will be a few days when the festival incorporates music. Beattie said that in the afternoons of Saturday, Sunday and Monday there will be musical entertainment at the exhibitions at the old residence gym.

She said there is normally about 1,000 pieces of art on display over the period of the festival and that there will be about 100 artists involved.

"It's usually a really really busy place," she said.

Beattie said NACA works closely with the artists to help them develop, from helping them create bios and promote their work.

"The big project for next year is talking to the artists about selling through the internet," she said, commenting on the difficulty Nunavut artists have with isolation and small audiences.

"We need those roads - the internet is our highway," she said.

The festival gives artists from communities a chance to gather together.

"It's just an inspiring time, and they're building on their creative side, so when they go back to the community they feel very inspired to create new work," said Beattie.

The festival begins Wednesday with registration and a meet and greet. After an eventful week, the festival will wind down Wednesday as Alianait! events continue to entertain the town.