Activities

NACA was established in August 1998, and receives core funding from the government of Nunavut's Department of Sustainable Development. An interim board of directors hired a co-ordinator in October of that year to set up the organization. The board took part in the October 1998 Nunavut Carvers Conference in Cape Dorset, where participants voiced their desire to have a member-driven industry association lobby on behalf of carvers. The same concerns raised there are similar to other art forms, and from the Cape Dorset Carvers Conference, the NACA board developed initiatives to support recommendations made at the conference.

With a small but growing staff, NACA is working hard to improve communication between Nunavut artists and their respective industries, to strengthen marketing skills and boost the sales of Nunavut art worldwide, to secure support and safe working conditions for Nunavut artists, and to heighten the quality of Nunavut artwork through training. NACA does not provide grants or loans, however.

NACA has achieved several milestones:

"Our Life in Stone" Sculpting Symposiums in Iqaluit, July-September 1999 and August-September 2000 -this two-year effort brought together 46 sculptors from Nunavut and across southern Canada -- from Yukon and British Columbia to Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia - who were inspired to fashion large public granite stone monuments in tribute to Nunavut, the new millenium, and the human spirit. The symposiums received funding from the Canada Council for the Arts' Millenium Fund and other organizations. These unique symposiums brought artists together to share their experiences, to learn about new techniques, materials and maintenance, to discover new tools, to mentor young artists and to leave a legacy, a story, in stone. The result was 26 stunningly detailed, majestic sculptures, some as high as eight feet, and all imbued with personal significance. The monuments will be leased to businesses in Iqaluit.

The 1999 and 2000 editions of the Nunavut Arts Festival -- the yearly Nunavut Arts Festival, held in tandem with NACA's annual general meeting, showcases the work of carvers, tapestry artists, printmakers, jewelers, ceramicists, dollmakers, seamstresses and others. The inaugural Nunavut Arts Festival, held in Iqaluit, attracted 40 artists from across the territory while the following year's celebration in Rankin Inlet drew 70 artists. The 2001 Nunavut Arts Festival runs Aug. 17 - 24, 2001 in Cambridge Bay. See the Events section for more details.

1999 Arts and Crafts Producer Business Conference - funding from Aboriginal Business Canada made it possible to bring 25 artists to Iqaluit for a two-day conference examining safety, health and insurance, how to market artwork, networking and the Internet, funding support for artists, and a breakdown of wholesale and retail costs.

Fur Sewing Workshops, November 1999 and January 2000, Iqaluit - workshops funded by the Baffin division of the Department of Sustainable Development were conducted by Montreal furrier Ingo Moslener instructed students in basic and contemporary sewing techniques, and helped six local designers stitch an eye-catching fur collection for the upcoming North American Fur and Fashion Exposition in Montreal. The market for sealskin clothing has gained popularity in the past few years.

Nunavut Fur Collection at the May 2000 North American Fur and Fashion Exposition in Montreal -- Nunavut's first sealskin fashion collection, comprising eight sealskin coats with hats and bags, was unveiled at the prestigious North American Fur and Fashion Exposition in Montreal. This undertaking was funded by the Baffin division of the Department of Sustainable Development.

Lobbying to revise the U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) - marine mammal products have been banned in the United States since 1972, a time when the crusade by animal rights activists against the sealing industry spurred a ban in Europe as well. Nunavut harvests between 20,000 and 25,000 seals yearly to provide food for Inuit. Sealskins are a byproduct of the hunt. The MMPA was supposed to have been up for reauthorization in 1999, so a multi-group Nunavut Sealing Committee (which included NACA) began a public education awareness campaign about sealing, in order to push for a change in the Act. Part of the education campaign included a magazine called Seals and Nunavut, which was distributed to 6,000 schools across Canada. The Baffin division of the Department of Sustainable Development funded this effort.

Toonik Tyme Doll Exhibition, Iqaluit, 2000 - hundreds of visitors milled through the Nunatta Sunakkutaangit Museum during Toonik Tyme in order to view more than 90 dolls, the pride of dollmakers from across Nunavut. Since the exhibition, several Iqaluit stores have expressed interest in selling the dolls.