Application and Guidelines
Yukon visual artists are invited to apply for the Yukon Prize for Visual Arts. This prestigious prize has been established to recognize excellence by Yukon visual artists and be a catalyst for the promotion of Yukon visual art across Canada.
Applications are reviewed by an independent jury. They are evaluated on technical expertise, a distinct artistic voice, and a clear sense of intention, whether rooted in tradition, contemporary art, or both.
The recipient of the award will receive $20,000, and the other five finalists will each receive $3,000.
2027 YUKON PRIZE
Applications are now open
Note: The application form will open in a new tab. Please read the full guidelines before applying.
GUIDELINES
Please read the full Application Guidelines PDF (below) before submitting your application. The guidelines include important information about eligibility, application requirements, and what to include in your submission.
Taking the time to review them will help ensure your application is complete and ready to submit.
CRITERIA FOR AWARDING THE PRIZE
The prize recognizes excellence by Yukon visual artists. It recognizes artists whose work:
- demonstrates technical proficiency
- reflects a unique artistic “voice” in theme, method or practice.
Artwork can reference traditions and/or the contemporary realm.
HOW TO APPLY
Artists are strongly encouraged to apply using the online form.
Alternatively, artists may submit paper applications (available on the website or from the Yukon Arts Centre) and send them to:
Mary Bradshaw
Yukon Arts Centre
Box 16 Whitehorse
YT, Y1A 5X9
Mailed applications must be postmarked by November 8, 2026.
Completed applications and photos may also be emailed to paper-submission@yukonprize.ca.
IMPORTANT DATES
- Monday, August 17, 2026 – Applications open
- Monday, November 16, 2026, 5 pm – Deadline to apply
- December 2026 – January 2027– Jurying
- February, 2027 – Longlist announced
- March, 2027 – Six finalists announced
- August 16, 2027 – Finalists deliver their work to the Yukon Arts Centre Gallery
- September 9, 2027 – Finalists’ exhibition opens at the Yukon Arts Centre Gallery
- October 1-3, 2027 – Festival weekend. Jurors travel to Whitehorse to select winner. Artist talks, tours and events.
- October 2, 2027 – Yukon Prize Recipient announced at Gala
- November 19, 2027 – Finalists’ exhibition ends
ELIGIBILITY – ARTIST
- Applications are open to any Yukon artist, working full-time or part-time.
- Artists must be residents of the Yukon for at least two years immediately prior to the application deadline (Nov 16).
- Yukon First Nations artists who are not Yukon residents but who have maintained a significant connection to the Yukon are also eligible.
- Past finalists and longlisted artists are eligible to apply. However, past recipients of the Yukon Prize ($20,000) can only apply after ten years have passed.
ELIGIBILITY – COLLECTIVES
- Artist collectives are eligible to apply, provided all submitted artworks are created collaboratively by the members of the collective and are attributed to the collective as a whole.
- An artist who applies as part of a collective may not also submit an individual application in the same cycle.
- For full details, please see the Application Guidelines.
ELIGIBILITY – ART
- Artworks must have been produced in the last 10 years immediately prior to the application date (November 16, 2026, i.e. works produced since November 16, 2016).
- A series can be considered one artwork if the pieces would normally be exhibited together.
- They must be original works of art such as (but not limited to): painting, carving, sculpture, ceramics, printmaking, electronic media, photography, textiles, glass, regalia, jewelry and drawing, and should reflect the artist’s best work.
- Ideally the work, or similar pieces, will be available for an exhibit at the Yukon Arts Centre Gallery from September – November 2027, and potentially for other shows outside the Yukon.
PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE YOUR ART FOR SPECIFIED PURPOSES
By submitting an application, you give the organizers of the prize a non-exclusive license to reproduce your work for the purposes of Yukon Prize publicity in the event that you are selected to the longlist. For the full details, please see the Application Guidelines.
EXHIBITING YOUR ART
If you are selected as one of the finalists, you will be asked to work with us to ensure that the artworks you submit, or equivalent pieces, are available for exhibition at the Yukon Arts Centre.
RIGHT TO REVISE THE RULES
The organizers retain the right to revise or add to the application rules if circumstances require. Any future revisions will be posted on our website.
