Mr. Speaker, the Government of the Northwest Territories is proud to support the NWT’s rich and varied NWT arts community through programs and initiatives delivered by the Department of Education, Culture and Employment and the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment. It is estimated that 20 percent of our population is involved in some element of arts and crafts production.
It is through artistic expressions captured in film, books, music, painting, photography, performance, sculpture and crafts that our residents share their stories and the natural wonders of our territory with the world.
In particular, Mr. Speaker, it is the time-honoured and traditionally created Aboriginal crafts, clothing and art that define, in large part, our identity as NWT residents to Canada and the world:
beautifully beaded moccasins, gloves and accessories that portray the lineage and creativity of their designers;
caribou and moosehide jackets with brilliantly designed floral designs proudly worn by Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people alike;
hand-crafted bark baskets sourced and created by the Dene from local birch trees;
stone, wood and bone carvings, moose hair tuftings, quill work and fur products that take their inspiration from the traditional knowledge and experiences of our territory’s Dene, Inuvialuit and Metis.
As access to our North grows, the demand for our unique NWT art products is also increasing and, so too, business and employment opportunities for all NWT artists.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased today to highlight for Members the official launch of the recently improved NWT Arts Program, a foundation for future marketing and promotional efforts for the NWT’s arts sector.
The NWT Arts Program offers a coordinated and multi-pronged approach to telling and promoting the stories of our registered NWT artists. Over the past four years, the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment has invested over $400,000 in this program, to strengthen and promote potential markets for this very important sector of our territory’s economy.
Our newly redesigned website enables visitors to learn about the diversity, value and authenticity of all NWT art and to connect with registered NWT artists, retailers and organizations.
The website also provides an extensive on-line library of artist profiles and NWT art, complete with professional images of the artists and their artwork. An on-line forum connects artists with each other.
Point-of-sale materials, educational brochures, and marketing materials, such as tags and stickers, are available at no cost for artists registered with the program. Meanwhile, a redefined branding program, supported by print and on-line advertising, is helping customers recognize and distinguish authentic NWT art in the marketplace.
Mr. Speaker, in the interest of increasing opportunities in the arts, the NWT Economic Opportunities Strategy recommends actions to establish a recognized and trusted branding program, a means to promote and protect NWT art in local, national and international markets and to increase the profile of both the NWT and its art by celebrating NWT artists as an element of our territory’s rich tourism product.
I am pleased to advise Members that the updated NWT Arts Program addresses these recommendations and will continue to increase economic opportunities in the NWT’s arts and fine crafts sector for years to come.
I encourage all Members to help spread the word about the new program to their local artists, to encourage access to the benefits and supports the program will provide. In doing so, we will help to build and strengthen the NWT’s unique and creative arts culture and continue to strengthen and diversify our economy. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Minister of Human Resources, Mr. Beaulieu.
