Members of the Ashoona family carted their bone and stone up the hill from Old Town to a new downtown studio last month.

Ashoona Family Studio and Goodliffe Creations are sharing a new studio on Franklin Avenue downtown. The artists occupying the space are, from left, Bob Kussy, Martin Goodliffe, Goota Ashoona and Joe Ashoona. - Daron Letts/NNSL photo

The Ashoona Family Studio opened last month in the former home of Little Bear's Den Gallery, which closed earlier this year.

"This has been really good. I'm still overwhelmed about it," said carver Goota Ashoona. "It's nice and warm. I've seen more visitors from out of town. I get to meet more people and see more of my friends."

Her husband and fellow carver Bob Kussy agrees the new venue was a positive move for the family.

"I think this is as good a setup as any artist could hope for," he said. "We're seeing a lot more new faces than we ever expected to."

Goota, Kussy and their son Joe Ashoona all carve in the large workshop adjacent to the elegant studio display space that fills the entrance of the building. A few visiting carvers also use the workshop and tools to create original work.

Carver and metal artist Martin Goodliffe moved his jewelry studio, Goodliffe Creations, into the back of the Ashoona Family Studio, as well. "Location, location, location. It's great," Goodliffe said. "People can come and sit and watch me make their piece while having a coffee."

Help from the community

Monumental pieces by Kussy and the Ashoona carvers line the rooms. A wide variety of stone and bone carving is on display. Furs, prints and and other pieces of art decorate the walls.

In the workshop, Goota is presently working on Christmas ornaments of mothers and children and some custom orders from southern buyers. Joe is completing a large alabaster shaman carving and some polar bears. Kussy is finishing some snowboarder ornaments in whale bone this weekend.

"Almost everything featured here is created here," Kussy said. "Having a nice place to work in energizes us, motivates us, propels us and certainly inspires us. Most nights we're here late working because this is a big chunk of our lives."

The carvers are thanking friends and friendly tourists for helping with the monumental move.

"We had lots of nice people from the community and visitors help us set this up," Kussy said. "That's very gratifying. We're well taken care of by the people of Yellowknife. They've been buying our art for two decades."

The Ashoona Family Studio is open every day until Christmas.