LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON - An open house held by the Open Sky Creative Society on Jan. 22 is just the beginning of a consultation process the arts organization is launching.

Seventeen people visited Open Sky's office and gallery in Fort Simpson on Friday to participate in the event. Visitors were asked for their input on a variety of topics including how Open Sky can raise its profile, increase its involvement with other communities and form partnerships.

Kathy Mouse, left, and her daughter Kaitlyn Moses sit in front of one of the pieces in the new exhibition at the OSC Gallery in Fort Simpson while participating in the Open Sky Creative Society's open house. - Roxanna Thompson/NNSL photo

The open house is part of a process the organization is undertaking to consult the wider community on how it can serve them better, said Tracy Kovalench, the society's programming co-ordinator.

The society wants to increase communication with other organizations and reconnect with the other communities in the Deh Cho. As part of this initiative the society is looking to revive its practice of regional representatives.

In 2004, a number of artists and art supporters living in other communities acted as representatives. They provided Open Sky with regional input and served as contact people for their communities, said Kovalench.

"It worked really well in the past," she said.

The society also hopes to partner with other organizations in Fort Simpson and the Deh Cho. Previous partners include the Deh Cho Friendship Centre, Open Doors, Brighter Futures and most recently Thomas Simpson School. Normally, the more people you partner with the better your chance of success, Kovalench said.

Part of the society's goal is to build on the variety and quality of the programming it offers.

"People have really good ideas and the next step after we get the really good ideas is to find funding for them," said Kovalench.

The process of securing funding for a project can take up to a year of planning, she said.

Kathy Mouse and Mary Neyelle were two of the people who attended the open house to give their input.

"What Open Sky is doing is great," said Mouse.

Mouse, who's originally from Fort Simpson but now lives in Hay River, said she enjoys the activities and drum dances Open Sky holds as well as the opportunities those bring to meet new people.

Both Mouse and Neyelle, who's from Wrigley, have attended the Open Sky Festival on a number of occasions to sell their traditional crafts.

"It's nice, we learn things from each other," Neyelle said about the society.

Moosehide tanning is something both women would like to see the society offer a workshop on.

"These days they are hardly making moosehide," said Neyelle.

Many of the women who made good hides are gone and the younger generation needs to get together to learn the skills, she said.

All of the recommendations the society receives will be taken into consideration, said Kovalench. The open house was a positive event because it engaged a lot of people and got them into the OSC Gallery where a new exhibition called Rezidents is underway until mid-March, she said.

Moving forward from the open house the society plans to hold a more formal community consultation session to expand on some of the ideas.