March 10, 2012

Inuit art sold online

Online sales a boon for Inuit artists in CanadaAn online auction group selling Inuit arts and crafts in Iqaluit popped up on Facebook in November. In a city of about 6,500, its membership has exploded to more than 7,000. The page is being credited with boosting the territory's economy, with a little help from the south.And:The numbers have driven business and increased prices.

"The average cost of kamiks were running anywhere from $200 to $500. And now it's going as high as $1,500," said David Alexander, the group’s creator.

With the prices for articles like these kamiks tripling, it's meant a boom for people who make them.

"It's helping individuals like me make extra income and buy necessities like fuel. It helps a lot," said seamstress Alicee Joamie.
Comment:  For more on Inuit art, see Dolls of Canada's North and Inuit Art in New Jersey and Japan.

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