Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
Page 7
Page 8
Page 9
Page 10
Page 11
Page 12
Page 13
Page 14
Page 15
Page 16
Page 17
Page 18
Page 19
Page 20
Page 21
Page 22
Page 23
Page 24
NWTartistsweighinonrstArtsCouncilrevisioningYellowknifeartisttogracenewNWTphonebook21TuesdayMarch42014ByMARIACHURCHTheNWTArtsCoun-cilhasannounceditwillundergoamassiverevi-sioningprocessoverthenextyearandartistsintheNWTwillbetheforcebe-hindthefirstbigshakeupplannedforthe29year-oldorganization.Lastfallasurveywassentouttomorethan500artistsandartorganizationsintheterritoryaskingthemtosharetheirthoughtsonthemandaterepresentationandservicesoftheNWTArtsCouncil.Theresultsandcom-mentsfrom145surveyrespondentsmadepubliclastweekhasbecomethetouchstonebehindthecouncilsvisionforthefu-tureBenNindpresidentofthecounciltoldTheJournal.TheNWTArtsCouncilwillbecelebrating30yearsin2015andinthattimehasneverseenarevisioning.Pleaseleaveamessageat872-5543fordetails.WESCLEANNORTHERNSALESLTD.Berthaisasmallandfriendlycreature.Shemakesforgreatcompanyinanyhousehold.Hershort-hairedcoatiswonderfulforpetting.Thecouncilforthemostparthasbeendoingverysolidquietworkinthere-gionsandaroundtheboardtablebuthasbeennoticingthattherehasbeenanenor-mousshiftintheartsenvi-ronmentintheNorthwestTerritoriesNindsaid.Thatshifthasbeenaninuxofnewartistsrecog-nizedprofessionalartistsandthecultivationofmoreartisticdisciplineshesaid.WinnieCadieuxNWTArtsCouncilrepresenta-tivefortheSouthSlaveregionsaidthesurveywasaresponsetochang-ingneedsoftheartistsandthecommunities.Thereneededtobemoreinvolvementbetweenthecouncilandthecommunitiesandtheartistsinthelisten-ingprocessandrespondingprocessshesaid.Atthecouncilslastmeet-ingin2013membersde-cidedtojumpstartstra-tegicplanninginordertoaccommodatethechangingartenvironmentintheter-ritory.TherststepwastobringthequestionofchangetotheartiststhemselvesNindsaid.Nindsaidthecouncilwasbeyondpleasedwiththesur-veys29percentrespondentrateaddingthatmanyofthecommentswereintelligentandpassionate.Inresponsetotheques-tionofchangingthecoun-cilsmandateonerespon-dentsaidGoingbeyondthepromotionofNWTartIwouldliketoseemoresup-portforlocalexperimentationandthepushingofNorth-ernartboundarieslimitsregardlessoftheartsmar-ketability.Morecommunitydevelopmentthroughartsprogramming.Acommentabouttheboardsrepresentationsug-gestedthatyouthbeaddedtothecouncilsboardtokeepusuptodateonthetrendsandtechnology.LastNovemberafterthesurveyresultswerecollectedthecouncilheldathree-dayworkshoptoreectonthefu-tureandbrainstormaplanfortherevisioning.AstrategicdocumentisnowinitsnaldraftandisexpectedtobereleasedwithintheyearNindsaid.Itisanexcitingdocu-mentandonethatallcouncilmembershadarolein.Alltheregionalperspectivesweretakenintoaccountwhichverymuchreectedalotofwhatwasstatedinthesur-veyitselfhesaid.ArtsCultureVisualArtArtsCultureArtsCouncilByMARIACHURCHYellowknifeartistLynnLaSagahasbeenholdingajuicysecretfornearlyhalfayearbutlastweekshewasnallyallowedtoletitallout.NorthwestelrevealedonThursdaythatLaSagasartworkhasbeenchosentogracethecoverofthenewphonedirectoryfromMar.2014toFeb.2015.LaSagatoldTheJournalshelearnedherartworkhadwonNorthwestelsannualcontestinNovemberandhasbeenstrugglingtokeepthesecretfromherfriendsandfamilysincethen.IhadareallylongtimetositonthisanditwasveryveryhardLaSagasaidwithalaugh.IvegottenusedtonottalkingaboutitsoacoupleofmybestfriendsIforgottotellthemuntilyesterdayLaSagaswinningartpieceisanoilpaintingcalledFad-ingGiantthatdepictsYellow-knifesinfamousGiantMine.Ivealwayshadafascina-tionwithGiantMineandIpersonallyhavealwaysthoughtitwasverybeautifulinadeso-latebarrenway.LaSagasaidherattractiontodilapidatedweatheredbuildingswasfosteredasachildgrowingupinnorthernSaskatchewanwheretherewereplentyaroundtodraw.WhenshemovedtoYellow-knifeveyearsagotheminewasapointofreferencethathernewcommunitywouldfrequentlydiscuss.ItsalwaysbeenapartofthelandscapeanditsstillverymuchinYellowknifescollec-tiveconscioussoitsalwaysbeenanimportantsymbolformesinceImovedtoYellow-knifeLaSagasaid.Ifeltitsimportanceandwhenpeoplewouldtalkaboutitsomepeo-plewerestokedsomepeoplewereangryabouttheeffectsontheenvironmentbutitsalwaysbeenatopicofcontroversy.WhenshewasdrivingpastGiantMinelastyeartheartistsaidshesnappedaphotoofthedefunctsitewithstormcloudsinthedistanceandarayofsettingsunglintingoffitssteelstructure.ItwasjustglowingwiththatsunsetLaSagasaid.Itjustreallyspoketome.Itspoketomyheart.Somuchofartisamystery.HearingfromafriendabouttheNorthwestelartcontestlastfallLaSagadrummedupthepicturefromherphoneandsatdowntopainttheiconicmine.ShesaidshewasamazedtohearlastNovemberthatherpiecewaschosenforthenewphonebook.Currentlyworkingasanin-structorwiththeYellowknifeAssociationforCommunityLivingLaSagapaintsinhersparetimeandlikemostartistswhoholddayjobssaidshehasdayswhereshestruggleswithcondence.Creativityformeisachal-lenge.Itshardsometimes.IvealwayshadtostrugglewithmyinnercriticsobeingchosenforthiswasreallyafrmingformetosayOKonthedaysIdontfeellikeanartistthereareotherswhothinkthatIamLaSagasaid.ItwillremindmethatIneedtobelieveinmyselfalittlebitmore.TheoriginalpaintingofFadingGiantwillbekeptinNorthwestelspermanentcol-lectionandaround70printshavebeenmadeandsignedbyLaSaga.TheYellowknifeartistalsoreceived2000inwinningswhichshesaidwereputawayinasavingsaccountthatsheonedayhopeswillhaveenoughmoneyinitfromherfutureartworktosetupagrantforyoungartists.Ibelieveyoubecomeanartistwhenyouareveryveryyoungwhenyouareatthetablewithyourbaba.ThatsthersttimeIfeltlikeanartist.Iwanttocreatefund-ingforthatagegroup-quiteyoungartistsshesaid.PhotoscourtesyofLynnLaSagaLynnLaSagasoilpaintingFadingGiantwillbefeaturedonthecoverofthenewNorthwestelphonebook.LaSagaanartistbasedinYellowknifesaidherinspirationfordrawingoldbuildingsstartedasachildinSaskatchewan.