The business of art
$30-million industry a main economic engine in Nunavut
Darrell Greer
Northern News Services
Wednesday, October 12, 2016
KIVALLIQ
The Kivalliq Trade Show Art Market in Rankin Inlet is one of the surprisingly few live venues for Kivalliq artists to show their wares in the Kivalliq each year.
Community School Counsellors Mary Tatty and Noah Tiktak, also a well-known local artist, show their display of traditional Inuit items at the Kivalliq Trade Show Art Market in Rankin Inlet this past month. - Darrell Greer/NNSL photo
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Arts and crafts is an annual $30-million industry for Nunavut, with a good chunk of that being the primary income for many artists.
The importance of the live art show is not lost on the artists or those who promote the industry in Nunavut.
Government of Nunavut arts and traditional economy advisor Theresie Tungilik said arts and crafts are huge to the Nunavut economy.
She said the importance of the income they generate cannot be overstated with so few jobs available in most communities.
"Venues like the trade show's art market are important to both established artists and those relatively new to the industry trying to have their work noticed," said Tungilik.
"Customers seek out the more well-known artists to see what they have available.
"But it's just as important for emerging artists to be able to show their work.
"Artists are often 'discovered' at these venues because customers can't buy what they don't know exists, and, sometimes, they'll see the work of an emerging artist at a show and become interested in their work."
Tungilik said far too few venues feature art during the year in the Kivalliq, or across Nunavut for that matter.
She said not everyone has the Internet, and some who do may not know how to find what they're looking for, or be comfortable buying online.
"Live venues are great opportunities for artists, especially when part of a large event that brings people in.
"It's worked really well for a number of artists, with some of them developing long-term artist-client relationships with people who first saw their work at a show.
"We've also seen the same thing with our fashion."
Tungilik said when someone visits a show and looks closely, they see the unique styles of different artists.
She said art is no different than anything else when it comes to what may attract someone over another.
"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and that can be especially true with art.
"The live venue provides more choices for the consumer, and it's a different experience than looking at the work online or in a catalogue.
"Mostly, people buy what they're attracted to and, in that sense, every artist is equal when people are in a room looking at all the work."
Tungilik said there's often huge crowds at the art shows that are part of the Northern Lights Trade Show in Ottawa and Montreal.
She said with so much interest in the arts, right now, she's seen the art section become almost bigger than the business venue at some shows.
"Inuit are one of the peoples on this Earth who have gone through so much fast change in a very short period.
"And our fashion and art have been moving forward almost as quickly.
"We're not talking about a small business anymore, with more than $30 million being generated annually by our artists.
"Not everyone wants to work at a mine, or has the potential to work for the government or start their own business, but they can earn an income through their art.
"It's an extremely important industry to our economy."
Noah Tiktak of Rankin Inlet has produced art for most of his 55 years.
A community school counsellor at Leo Ussak Elementary School by day, Tiktak said he was quite excited and very pleased when he first learned the Kivalliq Trade Show would include an art market each year.
And, he said, while he has done well with his sales at the event over the years, the market still has plenty of untapped potential.
"I enjoy being part of the art market and I value it for the help it gives regional and local artists in having their work shown, but it can be improved upon," said Tiktak.
"In the years I've been involved with the art market, not many of the out-of-town people attend, for whatever reason, so it can feel like only local people come by.
"We're usually in a different building than the trade show, too, so maybe a private showing, or something of that nature, for those who come to Rankin for the business side of the show could be established, and we could strongly encourage them, or give some form of incentive, to attend.
"It's a great experience to see art in person and talk to the artists, and a lot of these folks would be pleasantly surprised if they saw the level of our artwork for themselves."
Tiktak said while, of course, the artists want to sell their work, a one-on-one environment gives potential clients a chance to really get to know the artists and the history behind their work.
He said most artists like to talk about the creative process and it can create a unique client-artist rapport, but haggling over price is a rarely welcome form of conversation.
"It's great to be able to use modern technology to view Northern art, but it's a very different, and far more rewarding, experience when you see art in person, especially for the first time.
"I can't speak for everyone, but I will say the majority of Kivalliq artists don't pump-up prices on their work because they know out-of-town people will be here.
"I had a couple of people, not from Rankin, this past show ask me to negotiate, which means sell my work for less, and I just smiled and said, "don't insult the artist."
"It's not just the fact most people don't understand the amount of time you put into creating a piece, especially when working hard art, but, also, when you purchase any artist's work, you have something you liked enough to buy forever, and that really means a lot to me."
