Aboriginal artists display wares at the Fringe

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Vendors displaying and selling their products aren't anything new at the Saskatoon International Fringe Festival. But this year, for only the second time, the Saskatchewan Native Theatre Company (SNTC) had their own artisan's village where artists and craftsmen could show off their talents and sell their creations.

Nestled beside the Joe Duquette high school on Broadway Ave., the Aboriginal artisan's village was just one part of the Tepakohp Village, which also featured Tipitales, a children's tipi for story-telling, games, and face-painting; a busking stage for amateur and professional musicians where on the first night Raine Morin took to the stage for an acoustic performance; and the Bannock Bistro, which served up various goodies along with the catchy phrase, "Kohkom says, 'Don't panic, eat bannock."' Inside the school, the gymnasium served as the venue for Indian Time, a play by Drew Hayden Taylor in collaboration with the SNTC's 2004 Circle of Voices program participants.

This was the first "real" year for the artisan's village. Last year also set one up, but it was the pilot year to see how things would go. There were only two or three artists the first year. This year there were seven.

"It came out of a need to highlight Aboriginal artists at an event like the Fringe," explained Danny Fortier, SNTC's communications director. He and others noticed there weren't any Aboriginal artists at the Fringe, so they decided to provide an outlet for those who were interested. That way they could gain more exposure themselves, and people at the Fringe could be exposed to some art uncommon to the festival.

The feedback from Fringe-goers has been positive, said Melanie Doepker, who works at SNTC and was responsible for organizing and pulling the village together.

"It seems like a lot of people like it because it's different and cultural," she said. She thinks the artists' work is also appealing because it is made right here in Saskatchewan. However, Doepker had hoped the village would be bigger, with all of its spots filled.

"But I guess you start small, and it'll get big," she said hopefully. Two obstacles stood in the way of filling the 14 vacant spots in the village. One was that many of the artists were from the North, so transportation was difficult. Another factor was money-many couldn't afford the fee.

Doepker says SNTC was going to charge $375 a week, but decided against it.

"It wasn't about the money," she explained. "We wanted them to come."

Some of the artists donated pieces of work instead, she said. Simone McLeod, for example, is a painter from Regina who donated a painting to the SNTC as payment for her vendor's fee.. Along with paintings there were more traditional forms of art featured at the artisan's village. Moccasins and beaded jewellery were on sale, as were starblankets and dreamcatchers. There was also some contemporary jewelery and clothing.

"The bottom line is, it's about promoting Aboriginal artists," said Donna Heimbecker, SNTC's general manager.

The theatre company hopes to increase the number of artisans and continue to expose the community to Aboriginal art at next year's Fringe.