Where do the artists get their raw materials?
A. From the land around their community. Different types of stone come from different islands and riverbanks. The artists have to travel by boat, skidoo or ATV with picks, axes and crow bars to break off pieces of rock, which they then bring back to their studio. Its a very physical, time consuming and sometimes dangerous task considering the harsh terrain, the distance they have to travel and the effort required to locate and chisel out a piece of available stone. Some artists travel up to a hundred miles to source a particular type of rock, and then have to scale a cliff or descend a riverbank to get at it. They then have to carry it back to their sled or boat and back to their house when they return to the community. Many of the artists in the Kitikmeot region have their own special islands for certain colorations of dolomite and keep its location a secret from other artists, thus assuring themselves of future availability and exclusiveness.
A. From the land around their community. Different types of stone come from different islands and riverbanks. The artists have to travel by boat, skidoo or ATV with picks, axes and crow bars to break off pieces of rock, which they then bring back to their studio. It’s a very physical, time consuming and sometimes dangerous task considering the harsh terrain, the distance they have to travel and the effort required to locate and chisel out a piece of available stone. Some artists travel up to a hundred miles to source a particular type of rock, and then have to scale a cliff or descend a riverbank to get at it. They then have to carry it back to their sled or boat and back to their house when they return to the community. Many of the artists in the Kitikmeot region have their own special islands for certain colorations of dolomite and keep its location a secret from other artists, thus assuring themselves of future availability and exclusiveness.
