INUVIK
With the rhythmic beat of a drum from the Good Hope Drummers and the placement of the ceremonial whale bone into its cradle, the 26th Great Northern Arts Festival opened July 11.

Artists Tim Pitsiulak, far left, and Blair Thorson were honoured to carry the whale bone into the gallery at the Midnight Sun Recreation Complex, marking the opening of the Great Northern Arts Festival on July 11. - Shawn Giilck/NNSL photo

Hundreds of people crowded into the community hall at the Midnight Sun Recreation Complex July 11 to watch the opening ceremonies.

A handful of speeches followed by drumming and dancing kicked off the 10-day festival that is a celebration of Northern art and culture, which will feature more than 40 artists and a wide variety of evening activities.

"Thank you to the artists for sharing your incredible gifts, stories and art with us," said Great Northern Arts Festival Society chairperson Jen Lam.

"This year's theme is Northern Circles – family, friendship, community," she added.

"Our Northern Circle is a welcoming and inclusive circle. One that is vast and far-reaching, one that is deep in history, and one that is rich in hopes and dreams.

"In this festival, you will experience a powerful spectrum of wealth and talent. You will find a complex harmony of aboriginal and non-aboriginal traditions.

"That's what makes this festival, and the North, so unique and special."

That diversity is the core strength of the North, Lam said, particularly of the arts.

"It's what leads us to unexpected avenues and wonderful realms of creativity. It's through art that we can delve through the depths and heights of the human condition. It's what gives us strength to be resilient, and it is through art that we share our Northern history."

Nellie Cournoyea, the chairperson of the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, praised the artists for "having the adaptability of telling the changing story of the North."

The products of the artists, she said, showcase the past, the changing present and the future of the region.

"There are a lot of bigger and broader issues, but if you look carefully at the art, you'll find stories of evolution, stories of climate change, stories of patterns of animals and how they're so important. Oftentimes we will pick up an object, and it's just an object, but if you look closely at what you're buying, it's a story and many of the pieces of art have a soul," said Cournoyea.

"I know many people think that's odd, but as each person takes the time to produce that item, part of their soul, their mind, their thoughts, and their life and what they see (goes into it)."

After a performance by the Inuvik Drummers and Dancers, the whale bone was carried through the complex and into the gallery to be laid in its cradle by Blair Thorson and Tim Pitsiulak to officially open the 10 days of workshops, exhibits and entertainment.