Artisans come together at Qaumajuq for Crafted

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 05/11/2021 (1736 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

North meeting south was one of the Winnipeg Art Gallery’s aims when it developed and built Qaumajuq.

The eight-month-old Inuit art-focused wing of the gallery becomes that sort of gathering place today through Sunday as the WAG hosts its annual Crafted sale of arts and crafts.

This year’s event welcomes eight artisans from the Northwest Territories, from communities such as Yellowknife, Inuvik, Norman Wells and Fort Smith, along with 52 Manitoba-based creators, and is held in conjunction with the Manitoba Craft Council and Northwest Territories Arts.

Seeing Qaumajuq for the first time will be as much of an attraction for Rosalind Mercredi as the opportunity to sell the glass art she makes in her studio in Yellowknife.

“The Inuit art gallery, I’m really excited about that. We’ve arranged to get a tour ahead of time,” says the Métis artist, who also owns Down to Earth Gallery in the Northwest Territories capital. “Everybody’s proud that it’s there.”

Artists are looking forward to Crafted returning to an in-person event. It was an online-only sale in 2020 owing to the COVID-19 pandemic and provincial health restrictions against indoor public gatherings.

All Crafted vendors are fully vaccinated against the virus and visitors must show the same vaccination proof to attend. Visitors must also use the WAG’s timed-ticketing system (wag.ca) to set an appointment to visit to prevent crowding during the sale and in the gallery itself.

“I’m so happy that everyone is taking a safe approach,” says Tricia Wasney, who makes sterling silver jewelry infused with gold foil, such as pendants and earrings, in Winnipeg.

She’s looking forward to the excitement that Crafted visitors bring and an opportunity for them to see the items exactly as they are instead of viewing them at home.

“The colour is accurate (online) but you never know what people’s screens are showing them,” she says.

Tickets for today’s show, which runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., are $10. Saturday’s and Sunday’s showings, also from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., are $5. Included in the Crafted ticket is admission to see exhibitions in the WAG and Qaumajuq. Entry is free for those 12 and under.

Crafted continues its philanthropic side by offering a beading kit made by Métis artist Jennine Krauchi, whose work appears in the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. Proceeds from the $35 price will go toward the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation.

Alan.Small@freepress.com

Twitter: @AlanDSmall