黑料吃瓜网

Canada鈥檚 vibrant palette of artists and storytellers will provide the landscape for Inuvik鈥檚 upcoming Great 黑料吃瓜网 Arts Festival.

In its 36th year, Adi Scott, the executive director, said every province and territory will be represented at this year's event under the theme 'Tales of the Taiga.'

鈥淭he taiga plain is the region where the boreal forest meets the tundra, which is where Inuvik is,鈥� Scott said.

Thousands of people are expected to converge on the town of 3,000 during the event, which runs from July 9-14.

鈥淪o we wanted to choose that theme this year because we wanted to focus the theme on storytelling... of the boreal forest and the tundra, and how that (it) affects people's lives here, and how that affects the art that we create too 鈥� like the materials that you can get in and around the Delta,鈥� Scott explained.

And art in its many forms will be on display.

鈥淲e鈥檝e got lots of wonderful people applying. We've had people who are specifically just verbal storytellers, and we have a lot of poets and spoken word artists,鈥� Scott said, adding that a new event this year is the spoken word circle.

鈥淪o we're going to be having that on the weekend of the festival, which is really awesome.鈥�

She said the talents of traditional artists and beaders will be on display in the form of earrings, knitted goods, moccasins and many other handmade crafts.

鈥淎nd then also we have photographers, painters, and illustrators,鈥� she said.

鈥淲e鈥檝e got quite a lot more emerging artists this year too. I'm really excited to support them as well, and we have a couple of new carvers who'll be doing soapstone carving and antler carving.

鈥淪o that'll be really great, too. And I'm trying to really push the local and youth involvement right now.鈥�

For the love of art

Scott said the reason a person is drawn to art and artistic expression varies widely, as she discovered when interviewing youth for festival assistant positions.

"They're like, 鈥楳y grandparents brought me when I was younger,鈥� and they have great memories from it, or, 鈥楳y parents make art, and I have grown up watching them, and now I make art myself,鈥� or, 鈥業 have friends that are really into it, and I really like that,鈥� or, 鈥業 just really like being outside and in nature, and that inspires me to make art,鈥欌�� Scott said of the variety of answers she heard from each person she asked.

鈥淪o, I think everybody's story is so different as to why they're attracted to the arts, but to me, it's the ultimate form of self-expression because art can be in any form that resonates with you, and it tells your story, or it tells a story of things that you're interested in.

鈥淪o I think that鈥檚 why I really like the theme this year, as well. Art is just a way to share your story and tell your story.鈥�

While carving is still a prevalent artform in the Beaufort Delta region, Scott said she has noticed the trend of young entrepreneurial women appearing on the art scene with 鈥渋ncredible鈥� beading work.

鈥淎nd there鈥檚 a lot of people who are beading and working with hides and furs,鈥� she noted.

鈥淭here is one youth artist from Sachs Harbour who is starting to get into printmaking, she鈥檚 finished art school, so there is kind of a big mixture of things. And Ulukhaktok is very famous for its printmaking studio up there.

In addition, a plethora of talent from across Canada will converge on Inuvik, and Scott said Alaska will also be represented at the festival.

Due to funding issues, she said this year they are unable to support other international artists but hopes that in the future funding from the Canada Council for the Arts will assist them in reaching out globally, as they have done in the past.

Nevertheless, Scott said the festival would not be possible without the many volunteers and partnerships.

鈥淭here's been a big decline in government funding, so right now, we have around 15 to 20 partners who help make it happen, each giving what they can, in whatever capacity that is. So, a lot of that is volunteering and then donations as well, to make certain events happen.

鈥淭hey also help to discount our youth workshops so everything is affordable to the community, and everyone works together to make sure that this event is accessible to as many people as possible, and they are trying to remove the barriers surrounding participation in any way.鈥�

Fashion fiesta

One of the highlights of the festival that draws a large audience is the fashion show.

鈥淲e will have live improvised music accompaniments to it this year, which I am really excited about, with PIQSIQ.鈥�

鈥淎pril Allen is going to be running the fashion show this year. I think it鈥檚 one of the ways everyone can relate to art 鈥� like things you can wear,鈥� she said.

During the opening ceremony, Scott said the Inuvik Drummers and Dancers will welcome everyone, along with NWT commissioner Gerry Kisoun, and several others.

Scott said they are moving to a digital platform for ticket sales and booking workshop spots on the festival website.