Take the Northwest Passage

By Alissa Von Bargen

Ah, for just one time, I would take the Northwest Passage
To find the hand of Franklin reaching for the Beaufort Sea;
Tracing one warm line through a land so wild and savage
And make a Northwest Passage to the sea.
- Stan Rogers "Northwest Passage"

Arctic Quest 2006 is an interesting concept: 25 artists off to paint in the Arctic, celebrating the 100 year anniversary of Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen's opening of the Northwest Passage. The artists will be joined by a Gemini-award winning documentary crew as they retrace the 1906 voyage.
But the story behind the concept is more than interesting- it's fascinating. Tales of serendipitous meetings, tragedies, and instant karma surround Arctic Quest.

Arctic Quest director Linda Mackey's Follow Your Dreams, oil, 4 x 3'.

The concept of Arctic Quest began only a couple of years ago.
Arctic Quest director Linda Mackey, as Doris McCarthy's studio assistant, had the opportunity in 2002 to travel to the Arctic with McCarthy.
"Everybody pooled in to send me. I said I was just going this once, I told my husband that it was once in a lifetime," says Mackey. "My first night in the Arctic, I realized that I had lied to my husband."
While painting in the Arctic, in Pangnirtung, Baffin Island, the first pieces began to fall into place for Arctic Quest. Mackey met Kathy Haycock and Karole Haycock-Pittman, daughters of famed Canadian Arctic painter Maurice Haycock, as well as Bonnie Levanthal, an assistant professor at the University of Philidelphia.
What are the odds of bumping into kindred spirits in the Arctic? Turns out it runs in the Haycock family. Returning from his first expedition in 1927, Maurice Haycock met A.Y. Jackson and Dr. Frederick Banting on the ship Beothic. This sparked a lifelong friendship and painting partnership between Haycock and Jackson, who would paint together in a small abode in the Arctic known as the Little Yellow House.
"Kathy grew up seeing her dad and A.Y. Jackson bringing back these works of art from the Arctic, and going on trips with the Group of Seven," says Mackey. "We thought how exciting it would be for a group of artists to go through the Northwest Passage."
Kathy Haycock and Mackey returned to the Arctic together in 2004, and started developing what would become Arctic Quest.
And on the plane back home, Mackey was reading an article about the opening of the Northwest Passage and realized that the 100-year anniversary was approaching in 2006.
Mackey inquired with Canada Heritage if anything was being planned for this historic event. There was nothing in the works, and Mackey started developing Arctic Quest and searching for sponsors.
"The doors that have opened are absolutely amazing," says Mackey. "We'd walk through one door, and another would open."
Making the trip more poignant was an unexpected tragedy. In 2003, Kathy Haycock's house burned down, taking with it most of her father's paintings and memorabilia. Preserving what's left of her father's legacy became an important part of her voyages north, and eventually will be part of Arctic Quest.
Haycock and the group hope to restore the Little Yellow House in Pangnirtung. The house was marked for demolition before it was recognized as a heritage site. The group is also working on building a cairn on Ellesmere Island in memory of Maurice Haycock, next to the cairn that he had built for A.Y. Jackson. A plan to publish two of Maurice Haycock's illustrated manuscripts is also underway.
Planning a group trip to the Arctic isn't easy. The artists are looking for more sponsors, but will otherwise have to shoulder the extreme burden of cost to undertake such a journey. Mandatory guides accompany travelers with rifles to ward off polar bears. The artists have to squeeze their paint ahead of time so it doesn't freeze, and keep a tube of white paint inside their jackets to keep it warm. But the feeling Mackey gets from painting in the Arctic is worth all the pains.
"It's an overwhelming emotion of beauty. Many people have gone before and not returned. How lucky we are to be able to do it."
Arctic Quest 2006 will be holding an art auction with wine and hors d'oeuvres at 6 p.m. on March 25 at the Arts and Letters Club of Toronto with renowned auctioneer Hugh Hildesley from Sotheby's New York office. Attendees will have the opportunity to bid on original art works, including works by Doris McCarthy and Maurice Haycock. The highest bidder of the night will also receive a Rolex watch valued at over $5,000. Tickets are $75, and proceeds go towards both Arctic Quest and Inuit artists.
There are a limited number of tickets available. To purchase tickets, please see the order form online at http://nwp100.com/order_form.pdf. For further info, please contact Val Russell at (416) 284-8030.