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21TuesdayMarch262013ArtsCulturePaintingByRENEFRANCOEURYellowknifesRobbieCraigisanartistonamission.For14daysinJulyheplanstoscourNunavutsAuyuittuqNationalParkontheCumber-landPeninsulaofBafnIsland.TheBafnMountainsaretheappleofhiseyespecicallyMountAsgardatwinpeakedmountainwithanelevationofover6500feetnamedafterthekingdomofNorsedeities.AlotofCanadianshaveneverevenheardofthismoun-tain.Itsaattopmountainanditlooksliketheinsideofavolcano.ItsareallyweirdlookingmountainCraigalsoakindergartentoGrade12physicaleducationteacheratBehchokosChiefJimmyBruneauSchoolsaid.AccordingtoCraigonly40-60peoplegettoAsgardayearmakingitstillabitofahiddengem.ItsonlyeverbeenpaintedbyonepersonasfarasIknowandtheresbeenafewdocu-mentariesaboutclimbingitbutitsneverbeenexposedcreativelyhesaid.WereonamissiontocaptureAsgardinanartisticsense.Craig32willbemakingthejourneywithahandfulofoth-ersfromYellowknifeinclud-ingaward-winningadventurephotographerDavidBrosha.ThepairplantohostasmallshowingoftheirAsgardworkinYellowknifethisOctober.CraigwhoisoriginallyfromOntarioandcomesfromalonglineofartistsincludinghismothergrand-fatherandgreat-grandfa-therhasbeendabblingintheworldofacrylicpaintsincepublicschoolbutitwasntuntilhemovedtotheNorthsevenyearsagothathestartedusinghispaint-brushesseriously.ItsalwaysbeenapassionofminebutitwasntuntilmywifeNicoleandImovedhereYellowknifeartistsetssightsonBafnsMountAsgardoriginallytoWekweetithatIfoundthetimeandIguessartfoundmeagain.Afanofrenownedland-scapeartistssuchasTomThomsponLawrenHarrisandTedHarrisonCraigsworklargelyfocusesonwild-lifeandnaturewithaspecialpenchantfortrees.IwanttoexposetheNorthforitsruggednessthatbeauty.IloveJackpines.MypiecefeaturingmultipleJackpinesisoneofmyfavouritesandmynorthernlightsoneCalloftheNorth.Imsofor-tunatetobesurroundedbyallthesestunninginuences.Craigsstylehasagraphicexpressionistvibeutiliz-ingasmuchofthecolourpaletteaspossibleoneskytypicallyconsistsof16dif-ferentcolours.Paintingstakeabout12-30hoursspacedoutoveroneweekdependingonthecan-vassizehesaid.Craigiscurrentlystartingworkonthe35commissionedpieceshehasscheduledfromnowuntilnextJanuary.Lastyearhecompleted50com-missionedpiecesandestimateshescreatedabout200workssincehemovedtotheNWT.Craighasalsobeense-lectedthisyearbyCNIBformerlyknownastheCana-dianNationalInstitutefortheBlindasthefeaturedprintartistfortheorganizationsannualVisionsLuncheonfundraisercomingupinCal-garyandEdmontoninMay.ByRENEFRANCOEURJustovertwoweeksagoEmmaMiniganofInuvikmadeavideoshewasini-tiallytooembarrassedtosharewithevenherFace-bookfriends.Thatsamevideohasnowreceivedover2700hitsonYoutubeandsecuredheraspotinthetop40forMuch-MusicsrealityTVseriescon-testthesearchforthepopu-larCanadianchannelsnextvideojockeyVJ.IwasjumpingonthecouchrunningupanddownmyapartmentshallwayswhenIfoundoutImadeittothetop40Minigansaid.IvealwayswantedtodothisIvejustbeentooscared.Minigan26submittedhervideoapplicationtwodaysbeforethecontestclosed.Itwasthersttimesheevereditedavideoandoneofthefewtimesshedbeeninfrontofacamera.IdidntthinkIdidaverygoodjobandIwasembar-rassedtoadmittopeopleoneofthethingsIvealwayswantedtodowasbecomeaVJ.ThennallyIthoughtImjustgoingtogoforitandtryshesaid.MiniganandfriendJohnnyBubbaKaglikshowoffpartsofInuvikduringthevideohighlightingthesnowanddemonstratinghowcolditisbythrowingwaterintheairandwatchingitevaporatebeforeithittheground.Ithinkthevideoshowsmypersonality.Iloveallkindsofmusicandmyfa-vouritethingtodoismeetpeople...Imnotafraidtoaskthosequirkyquestionsnooneelsedoes.MiniganoriginallyfromDeepRiverOnt.movedtoInuvikinNovember.SheiscurrentlywaitressingatTonimoesRestaurantintheMackenzieHotel.AccordingtoMinigansheisoneofthefewpeo-plewhohaveeversub-mittedavideoapplica-tionfromtheNWTtothemusiccontest.IthinkthatmaybeahugereasonwhyIwaspickedtooshesaid.IdlovetobeabletobringMuchMusictoInuvikandhavethemgotothesmallerNortherncommunitiesaswellbecausepeopledontrealizetherearehugefansuphere.AfterthepollsclosedforfanstovoteonlineMuchMusicbeganan-nouncingcontestantsinthetop20yesterdayandwillberevealingfournamesperday.Cameraswillbegindocumentingtheon-the-roadeliminationsofthetop20contestantsastheytravelandcompeteacrossCanadaontheMuchVJtourbusstartinginVan-couver.TheshowairsMonday.Mygutisconstantlyturn-ingMinigansaid.Nomat-terwhathappensIplantogoInuvikwomaninMuchMusicVJconteststop40ArtsCultureTelevisionforwardinthisarenacareer-wise.Ifanythingthishasgivenmeaddedcondence.FormoreaboutMiniganandotherVJhopefulscheckoutwww.muchmusic.comvjsearch.PhotocourtesyofEmmaMiniganEmmaMiniganPhotoscourtesyofRobbieCraigAristRobbieCraigpaintsaNorthernscenewhilevacationinginFloridathismonth.TheBoskyNorthisCraigsmostrecentwork.