🍾 The Countdown is On!
Can you believe it? The Yukon Prize Festival is just TWO WEEKS away! We’ve got art, music, food, parties, and panels waiting for you — and this year is bigger than ever. Here’s your insider’s guide to what’s coming (and what you won’t want to miss).
✈️ YUKON PRIZE AIR NORTH ART CRAWL
Friday, October 3 | 4-8 pm | Free!
Top row: The Follower, Andy Slade, Danette Readman. Bottom row: Keitha Clark and Graham Poile, Jennihouse, Daniel Janke and Logan Bennett.
📍 Friday night, downtown Whitehorse will be buzzing. Grab your friends and crawl your way through art openings, performances, and refreshments. 17+ venues. Live music around every corner. Pop-up artist demos.
And yes — there’s even a chance to win a round-trip flight for two with Air North, Yukon’s Airline!
- Pick up a free Air North postcard ballot at any participating Art Crawl location (available starting Sept 26, 2025).
- On October 3 between 4 to 8 PM, explore the different venues and collect a minimum of 5 stamps from different Art Crawl locations.
- Then show your stamped postcard at the Air North booth at MacBride Museum, and drop a completed ballot in the entry box by 8:00 PM.
🎶 The Soundtrack to Your Crawl 🎶
The Follower @ The Warehouse
Andy Slade @ Jim Smith Building
Danette Readman @ Yukon Artists@Work
Keitha Clark and Graham Poile @ MacBride Museum
Jennihouse @ YukonStruct
Daniel Janke @ Well Read Books
Logan Bennett @ Lumel Studios
For all the details visit Yukon Prize + Air North Art Crawl on yukonprize.ca
🎡 YUKON PRIZE CELEBRATION EVENING 🎉
The Yukon Prize Celebration Evening is where the Territory’s biggest art party meets culinary creativity. The $20,000 Yukon Prize recipient will be announced, and the night unfolds with powerful performances, a screening, the Feast of Small Plates, and a Portrait Parlour photo booth to capture it all. We’re thrilled to introduce the six chefs bringing art to your plate this year… Streets of Kerala – Inspired by the work of artist Jane Isakson Grandma Treesaw’s Bannock – Inspired by the work of artist Jeneen Frei Njootli Kit’s Kitchen – Inspired by the work of artist Aubyn Grady Klonbite – Inspired by the work of artist Jackie Olson Wandering Bison – Inspired by the work of artist Randi Nelson The Chocolate Claim – Inspired by the work of artist Meshell Melvin Hungry for more? We’ll be sharing more about the chefs and their artistic inspiration next week on Instagram and Facebook.
The Schedule!
5:30 PM – Doors open 6 – 7 PM – Awards show with Dakhká Khwáan Dancers + Erica Dee Mah and a screening of the first movement of the Kluane Compositions 7 – 9 PM – Feast of Small Plates and Portrait Parlour Photo Booth 🎟️ Tickets are going fast — Get your tickets online! There are a few reduced-rate $30 tickets still available for artists and art lovers. Get these by phone or in person at Yukon Arts Centre Box Office, 867-667-8574.
🍶 OPEN ARTISTS’ STUDIOS
Sunday, October 5 | Free Daytime Events | 11 am – 4 pm
Ever wanted to peek behind the curtain of an artist’s process? Now’s your chance! With 11 studios open across Whitehorse, Mount Lorne, the Carcross Road, and Haines Junction, you can see ceramics in the making, paintings on the easel, sculpture taking shape, and fresh prints coming off the press. Meet the artists, explore their spaces, and enjoy the journey at your own pace.
Find the full list of artists and studios at yukonprize.ca, along with downloadable maps to help plan your route. 🗺️
Left to Right, Top row: Nicole Bauberger, Natasha Henderson, Valerie Hodgson, Middle row: Dennis Shorty, Leslie Leong, Scott Price, Esther Bordet. Bottom row: Amberley Cooke, Daphnee & Lee Mennell, Catherine Jamnicky and Martha Ritchie.
🌈 FREE DAYTIME WORKSHOPS AND PANELS
From conversations with jurors to artist-led tours, the daytime program is packed with opportunities to learn, connect, and dive deep into contemporary art. All free, but registration is required for some sessions.
Saturday, October 4
10 am | Jurors’ Panel: What I Look For In Contemporary Art 👀 Jean-François Bélisle, Sarah Moore Fillmore and Dr. Heather Igloliorte @ Yukon University Register for the Juror’s Panel
11 am | Artists’ in Conversation 🎨 With Adad Hannah, Guná Jensen and Leslie Leong @ Yukon University Register for Artists’ in Conversation 12:15 pm | Meet & greet lunch @ Yukon University Register for the lunch 1:30 pm | Artist Led Tours of the Finalists’ Exhibition 🖼️ @ Yukon Arts Centre 2:30 – 4 pm | Art at the Archives 🔎 Drop in to see a selection of art from the vault @ Yukon Archives More info here!Sunday, October 5
10 am | Youth Drawing Workshop ✍️ @ Arts Underground | Seats are limited, register here!1 – 4 pm | Kids Kreate 🖌️ (ages 4 – 11) @ Yukon Arts Centre No registration required. Family-friendly art workshop
👉 Mark your calendars, book your tickets, and get ready — the countdown to the Yukon Prize Festival is on. We can’t wait to see you there!
Recap: 2025 Finalist Exhibition Opening!
Jeneen Frei Njootli and son Nico performing, governing body, 2025 at the Yukon Arts Centre.
📸 Brian Pelchat
Whitehorse Showed Up and the Finalists Delivered! 🚀
The opening of the Yukon Prize Finalist Exhibition was inspiring, moving, and a testament to the strength of the arts in the North. For some more fun photos, Yukon News did a cover feature on the opening!
Juror Sarah Fillmore (CEO, Art Gallery of Nova Scotia) captured it perfectly:‘I think the best stuff happens outside the centres. Like, the most interesting, sparkly, smart, resilient art practices are happening where people have space, where they’re able to breathe, where they’re able to really dig into their own practice without the noise of the rest of the art world.’
Couldn’t make it? Don’t worry — the exhibition is open until November 14, so you still have time to experience it.”
Top: Aubyn O’Grady, Dawson City League of Lady Wrestlers, 2013-2017. Left to Right, middle row: Meshell Melvin, Invocation to the Chinook of Chu Niikwän, 2019, Randi Nelson, Pesxíxlem, 2024. Bottom Row: Jane Isakson, Mount Logan, Deep Time, 2025 and Jackie Olson, The Land Speaks to Me, 2024. 📸 Images by Brian Pelchat. Image of Jackie Olson by Courtney Holmes.
🌟 Sponsor Spotlight
Air North, Yukon’s Airline has been proudly connecting Yukoners and visitors alike since 1977. Based in Whitehorse and 100% Yukon-owned, including by the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation, Air North plays a vital role in northern connectivity, offering scheduled service to communities such as Dawson City, Old Crow, and Inuvik, as well as major centres in British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario. The airline is renowned for its exceptional customer service and the kind of travel experience rarely found today: complimentary in-flight meals, no extra fees for checked baggage, and warm cookies served on board.
Beyond commercial service, Air North also provides cargo and charter flights, supporting both community and economic development across the North.
As a long-standing member of the Yukon community, Air North is proud to support the Yukon Prize and celebrate the talent and creativity that define this region. We are honoured to be your airline of choice.
Casino Mining Corporation is preparing to reach a major milestone with the upcoming submission of our Environmental and Socio-economic Effects (ESE) Statement to the Yukon Environmental and Socio-economic Assessment Board. This detailed submission will reflect years of technical studies, Traditional Knowledge, and meaningful engagement with Yukon First Nations, communities, and governments. Once filed, it will mark the beginning of the YESAB Panel Review process—the most rigorous level of environmental and socio-economic assessment in the territory.
As we near this important step, our commitment to community remains just as strong. Through our Casino Cares program, we proudly support Yukon events, youth, arts, and culture—from the Arctic Winter Games to the Yukon Prize for Visual Arts. Just as our ESE Statement looks ahead to the future of responsible development, our sponsorships celebrate the vibrant spirit of Yukon today. Together, we’re building opportunities, strengthening communities, and shaping a future we can all be proud of.
💪🏽 Power the Prize
Support Yukon artists and the Yukon Prize with a charitable donation today.
✔ Donate through our partner, the Yukon Arts Foundation via Canada Helps.
✔ Receive an instant charitable receipt by email
✔ Make an impact on the Yukon arts community
🙌🏽 Together, we’re building a stronger future for the Yukon arts community — thank you!