European trade mission highlights Native artworks

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A group of Aboriginal artists from Western Canada have recently returned from a successful trade mission to Belgium and Holland.

During the trip, which took place in late June, the delegates met with government representatives from both countries, as well as with gallery owners and store owners, to get an idea of the market for authentic Aboriginal artworks.

Taking part in the trade mission were Pat Donaldson, artist and owner of the Nokomis Gallery in Calgary; Rocky Barstead, artist and owner of Two Feathers Gallery in Calgary; Annemicke Mulders of the Arctic Trading Company, which represents Inuit, Dene and Metis artists from the Northwest Territories; Andrea Sanborn representing artists from the U'mista Cultural Centre in Alert Bay, B.C., and Paulette Flamand of Symbols, a company that makes clothing with a Native theme. The work of other artists were also represented during the mission, including that of Alberta artist Jean Tait.

The trip was organized through Industry Canada's Aboriginal Business Canada program and the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade. Barry Irwin, manager for Aboriginal Business Canada's Alberta office, also took part in the trade mission. Irwin said that although the artists sold works abroad, it's too soon to gauge their success, because that will be judged less on sales made during the trip and more on future orders as a result of the mission.

This is just the latest trip abroad to market the works of Aboriginal artists co-ordinated through Aboriginal Business Canada. Past missions included trips to Germany, France and Italy, as well as into the U.S.