For the next few weeks, northerners can enjoy a sneak peek of the artwork submitted to Northwestel’s annual directory artwork competition.

Thirty-one pieces of original northern art are now on display in a mini-exhibition on Northwestel’s website at www.nwtel.ca. Three of the pieces will be featured on the company’s telephone directory covers for 2010-2011.

Northerners are invited to visit the website to view the entries, which will be posted there until January 29, 2010. Eight of the entries were submitted for the Northern British Columbia/Yukon directory cover, sixteen for the Northwest Territories cover and seven for the Nunavut directory cover. They come from twenty-two different artists who live in communities across the North.

“We received a wonderful array of artwork for this year’s competition,” said Paul Flaherty, Northwestel President and Chief Executive Officer. “The work depicts many aspects of northern life and the beautiful natural setting in which we are so privileged to live. The featured subjects include stunning scenes of northern wilderness and wildlife, traditional culture and northern lifestyles, from artists who work in a wide variety of formats and styles. The artwork demonstrates the fantastic vibrancy and diversity of our northern artistic community.”

Three winning entries are chosen, one each from Nunavut, the Northwest Territories and Yukon/British Columbia, to be featured on the Northwestel directory for that region. The artwork selections will be announced at the time each directory is launched.

The winning works of art will become part of Northwestel’s corporate art collection. The company also produces a limited number of reproductions of each piece which are used for gifts and prizes. Each of the winning artists will be awarded $2000.00.

Northwestel has been featuring original works by northern artists on the covers of its telephone directories since 1983, as one of the ways in which the company supports northern arts and culture. Artists are invited to begin planning now for the next directory cover art competition for the 2011-2012 directories.

Northwestel provides complete telecommunications solutions and entertainment services in the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Yukon, northern British Columbia and High Level, Alberta. The company’s operations span nearly 4 million square kilometres of the most remote and rugged areas of Canada.