Laura Power
Northern News Services
Published Friday, January 25, 2008

YELLOWKNIFE - With executive and artistic director Tracey Breitbach gone on maternity leave this year, Folk on the Rocks is about to take on a different flavour.

Her replacement, Lynn Feasey, is new to Yellowknife, but brings with her a resume full of art and festival-related experience.

Lynn Feasey, left, will replace Tracey Breitbach as executive and artistic director of Folk on the Rocks. Breitbach is stepping away while on maternity leave. - Laura Power/NNSL photo

She began working with Inuit art in Nova Scotia in the late 1990s when she ran Houston North Gallery, and she worked in the North as the artistic director for the Great Northern Arts Festival from 2003-05.

Now Feasey owns Trees Gallery, a seasonal gallery in Nova Scotia, and she works on contracts in the meantime.

"It was a little longer than I normally would accept," she said of the FOTR position.

But there's lots to keep her busy during the time she has to leave her footprint on the festival. Having only started right before Christmas, she said "I've sort of hit the ground running."

"I have good experience so I think I'm equipped," she said.

Though most of her experience is with visual arts, she said "this is an opportunity for me to add performing arts to the mix."

This year, the theme of Fusion has been picked for the festival, bringing in various world talent and mixing different genres together for stage jams.

Feasey said it will be "bringing the world to Yellowknife and celebrating the culture that exists within the community already."

The festival's cultural area will likely expand this year, also in fitting with the theme.

Already confirmed for this year's festival are Elliot Brood, Ndidi Onukwulu and Jill Barber. Northern artists who want to apply to take part in the festival must get in touch before March 1.

"We hope to release some bigger names at our spring dance," said Breitbach.

The spring dance this year will be held at the Elks at the end of February, and will take place over two days instead of the usual one.

The Raygun Cowboys - featuring the horn section of the Mad Bomber Society - will return to Yellowknife to play both nights, with two local bands opening. Diga will open one night, but the other opening act for the night hasn't been confirmed yet.

Breitbach starts her maternity leave today, and seems sure of Feasey's ability to take on the role.

"I have full confidence in her in this transition that she'll pull off a marvellous festival," she said.