Exhibition brings Arctic to the south

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The Edmonton Works Festival had a noticeable Arctic theme this year, thanks to Arts From The Arctic, a Circumpolar Exhibition.

Presented by several government organizations, Native groups and UNESCO, the exhibition brought together works from artists from Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Alaska, Canada and Greenland.

For every region, 100 pieces of art were selected by a Native chair-person and they included crafts, sculpture and paintings.

Francis Ruben, from Paulatuk, N.W.T. carves whaleborne and soapstone.

"It's been very interesting. We got different ideas from people who passed. We explained fairly well where the whalebone was found - it gets washed up on the beach. Sometimes they dry for a couple of hundred years. I like to bring them back to life."

Ruben didn't know what his work was worth, so he now has a friend selling his creations for him.

"I just enjoy the work. (I'm) very independent. My living is completely based on my work."

The artist has been carving for more than 20 years.

"It was the one thing that really excited me."

Meeting with other Arctic artists has been a great opportunity, he said.

The people from the north are getting together with people from the south and learning southern aspects, and the south are learning northern aspects."

The exhibition's next stop is Victoria for the Commonwealth Games, July 15 - August 28.

"We're going to be doing some major whalebone sculpturing down there."