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Day to remember on the Lake Artist leaves Baker with heart full of fond memories
Darrell Greer
Northern News Services
Published Wednesday, August 7, 2013
BAKER LAKE
Well-known artist Gerald Kuehl's trip to Baker Lake to interview some of the town's elders turned into one of his fondest visits to the Kivalliq earlier this summer.
Well-known artist Gerald Kuehl interviews Elizabeth Tululik (Quinangnaq), left, the wife of late elder Samson Quinangnaq, during his trip to Baker Lake earlier this summer. - photo courtesy of Gerald Kuehl |
Kuehl had photographed a number of Baker elders a few years back, and travelled to Baker to conduct interviews in support of his work.
He said after getting two interviews his first night in Baker, he joined a group of people on a fishing trip to Whitehills Lake.
"We were gone for 12 wonderful hours, and I managed to get a few more photos and interviews upon my return to the community," said Kuehl. "I was in Baker for about five days and had just an incredible time, highlighted by my trip to Whitehills Lake."
Kuehl said he learned that an in-flight magazine available on all Calm Air flights will be featuring his work on the late Baker elder Samson Quinangnaq and his wife, Elizabeth Tululik, this month.
"So getting that news was like an exclamation point to a wonderful trip."
Kuehl said the weather was perfect for his first trip to Whitehills Lake.
He said it was, literally, the last day everyone thought they would be able to get on the lake due to the summer melt.
"You go on an ATV from the land up onto the frozen ice, and we were going through two or three feet of water to do that," he said. "Everyone was telling me my timing was great because a day later and I would have missed my chance."
The group caught about 75 fish, Kuehl said, adding that Levi Quinangnaq hauled in a "monster-sized trout."
"The fish was so heavy, I couldn't hold it level with one arm without grimacing."
The excitement is obvious in Kuehl's voice as he talks about how close he is to having a book publisher by early September of 2013.
He said he's thrilled by the prospect of having a publisher, and has worked the past eight months on having the biographies completed for his 175 portraits.
"I've been at this for 16 years now and I finally said it's time I get a publisher," he said. "It's going to be a lot of work to find out what kind of nuts and bolts I'll have to do, but everything's done and I'm ready."
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