Thanks, Chris.
As Chris stated earlier, I'm the executive assistant for Nunavut Arts and Crafts Association, and also in charge of developing projects.
I'm going to speak to the status of the economy of Nunavut in relation to the arts.
With a population of about 30,000—approximately 3,000 of whom claim to be full-time artists, with their main source of income created by the sale of their art—Nunavut is unique and unlike most provinces due to the high population of artists who choose to be artists for monetary purposes.
It has been said that Nunavut has the highest number of artists per capita than anywhere else in the world. The arts were next to mining in recent numbers released for the GDP of Nunavut. Because being an artist is part of a huge industry and a major source of income in Nunavut, it creates a huge impact when there are some noticeable negative changes in the Inuit art market.
One factor is the changes in demands regarding the quality, style, and uniqueness of each piece. Another factor is the economic downturn in the global economy that deters a lot of first-time buyers from entering the market due to less disposable income amounts.
We see one major contributing solution for these issues, and that would be to develop new niche markets abroad.
As to social and economic development, poverty reduction is a huge impact that we see in the territory. In some sense, the arts industry in Nunavut could be considered a trade that you learn from family and friends rather than what some may say is a calling. Not only does it allow for job creation, but it also raises the standard of living and becomes a reliable option of creating income for individuals who do not fit in the relatively recently established governmental system for reasons of lack of education, training, skill sets, or motivation.
As for creating sustainable economic growth in the sector, organizations like NACA and Nunavut Development Corporation provide opportunities of training and education for professional development and artistic development, while also creating awareness of artists' rights, such as copyright laws and knowledge of the developing artists resale rights campaign. Marketing initiatives and ongoing visibility by having a presence at meetings, conferences, and festivals of the arts sector on a community, territorial, national, and international level are necessary for the growth of the sector.
As a result of all of these economic development endeavours for the arts sector, there are some spinoff benefits, such as the tourism industry. Because so much of Inuit culture is submerged in the arts and traditions, this develops a unique cultural experience to see the Inuit culture to some extent preserved in the form of art.
International expansion is crucial to the growth of the Nunavut arts sector. Nunavut art is exotic and is known by most Canadians. The majority of Inuit art galleries are located in Canada. With times and the status of the economy changing, methods of marketing must be broadened to gain our potential. Nunavut art is healthy, but according to a recent discussion between NACA and other Inuit art wholesalers, it seems to be in a holding pattern, and therefore a new and a broader market development plan is required.
Outsourcing from Canada to artistic regions of the world, such as Europe, is one way of broadening the sales of Nunavut art and spiking the arts sector economy of Canada.
That said, NACA, in collaboration with Nunavut Development Corporation, has developed marketing trips to France, Switzerland, and the United States. The idea of these marketing trips is to bring international interest to Inuit culture and art.
For example, our trip to France showed that there is much more interest from first-time buyers of Inuit art than expected. Interest in Inuit art among the French, particularly Parisians, is well known and bolstered by documented attention to the art form by former French President Jacques Chirac. Additionally, in 2006 the Government of Nunavut hosted events with the French ambassador and dignitaries in both Iqaluit and Pangnirtung. At that time, both the French delegation and the Nunavut delegation made a commitment to work together on cultural events and other initiatives in the tourism sector.
With this initiative on our mind, we collaborated with a gallery in Paris that is an established dealer of Inuit art. They've been in the business for many years, and maintain a permanent mailing list of approximately 1,200 French and European clients. With a small brigade from Nunavut, including an artist demonstrating their talent, we put together an event celebrating Nunavut's culture and art. The results in sales were much greater than expected, with a gallery purchase of $30,500 in the two-day event from the wholesaler. To put this in perspective, the gallery had purchased $32,000 from the wholesaler in the 365 days prior to the event. The gallery reported very significant after the fact retail sales as a result of the advertised event and is purchasing additional art to support this interest.
We are working hard to create new, innovative initiatives to keep the momentum in this market. We recognize that strategic international investment and initiatives are required to keep these interests energized, and therefore insuring a sustainable future for thousands of Nunavut residents. Because the arts industry in Nunavut is a large contributor to the standard of living and the source of income for many residents, an investment in Inuit art is an investment in Nunavut's future.
In conclusion, as a representative of the artist population of Nunavut, NACA's position on this topic is to encourage support for artists, arts organizations, and arts enthusiasts to improve the visibility of Nunavut arts on an international level. International marketing and the exploration of new markets is a way that we can ensure the sustainability of the arts sector for the economy of Nunavut. The arts industry not only provides a source of income for many households in the territory but also is a very important part of the Inuit culture and their history.
We would like to thank you for your time and we'd be pleased to answer any questions. Thank you.