March 2023 Newsletter
Happy Spring! Along with the coming of spring comes the receipt of applications for this year’s Yukon Prize and the beginning of a series of events and reveals that will culminate in the Yukon Prize Visual Arts Celebration Weekend, September 15 – 17, 2023.
This year for the first time there will be a long list announced in May prior to the announcement of the finalists in June, giving us all the opportunity to see the artworks of more talented Yukon artists! To keep the application and jurying process confidential, only the Jurors (Heather Igloliorte, Michelle Jacques and Sarah Milroy), the jury moderator and the Yukon Arts Centre curator see the applications. We can’t wait to see the work of the longlisted artists which will be shared on the Yukon Prize website.
Julie Jai and David Trick
Co-founders of the Yukon Prize
Yukon Prize 2023 applications

Stumbling Block, 2007 by 2021 Yukon Prize finalist Veronica Verkley at Art Vancouver in 2022
We are pleased to share that 64 Yukon artists have applied for the 2023 Yukon Prize for Visual Arts!
Artists from across the territory have applied, including Carcross, Dawson, Haines Junction, Mayo, Pelly Crossing, Ross River, Teslin, Watson Lake, and Whitehorse.
The Yukon is blessed to have so many talented artists who add so much to the community. Proportionate to the size of its workforce, the Yukon has more visual artists than anywhere else in Canada
Watch for the publication of the jurors’ long list in May!
Yukon Prize in the News
- Yukon Prize co-founders Julie Jai and David Trick named Notable Northerners of the Year, Up Here Magazine
- Gearing up for the next Yukon Prize, Airplay with Dave White
- Yukon Prize finalist Krystle Silverfox’s work on display as part of the Sobey Prize finalists exhibition at the National Gallery of Canada, Yukon News
… more Yukon art in the news
- New creative space in Whitehorse is a ‘blank canvas’ for artists, Whitehorse Star
- Kluane Park artist residency accepting applications, Yukon News
- Murals to be source of inspiration for Whitehorse Muslim community, CBC Yukon
Upcoming Yukon Prize events
- May, 2023 – Announcement of the Yukon Prize long list.
- June 2023 – Up to six finalists announced.
- September, 2023 – Exhibition of Yukon Prize finalists’ work opens at the Yukon Arts Centre in Whitehorse, YT.
- September 15-17, 2023 – Yukon Prize Weekend. Join us in Whitehorse to celebrate the accomplishments of Yukon artists and participate in a weekend of programming tailored to Yukon art appreciators.
- November, 2023 – Exhibition closes at Yukon Arts Centre, Viewers’ Choice award is announced
Alumni News
Visit minute mark 25 to view the discussion of Tisiga’s work.
Yukon Prize recipient Joseph Tisiga‘s work appears in Generations: The Sobey Family and Canadian Art. Curated by Sarah Milroy, juror for the 2023 Yukon Prize, Generations is organized and circulated by McMichael Canadian Art Collection with special thanks to Sobey Art Foundation and Empire Company Limited.
The Art Gallery of Alberta is the latest stop on the exhibition’s tour (on until May 21st). Please enjoy the virtual curatorial talk with Ian Dejardin and Sarah Milroy in the video.
Yukon Prize and Sobey Prize finalist Krystle Silverfox displays her work at the National Gallery of Canada as part of the exhibition of Sobey Prize finalists. Read more about Silverfox’s experience with the Sobey Prize here.
Support the Yukon Prize
To make a charitable donation online to support Yukon art and artists through the Yukon Prize, please donate through our partner, the Yukon Arts Foundation, via Canada Helps.
Where you see the heading: “Apply your donation to a specific fund set up by this charity” select “Yukon Prize for Visual Arts” from the drop down menu.
You will receive a charitable donation receipt immediately by email from Canada Helps, identifying your support for the Yukon Prize for Visual Arts.