Gallery Summer Outreach - Summer Student Position

May 30, 2012 - August 31, 2012 (extension into September is a possibility)

Full time - $16.59 / hour (plus $0.72/ hour for health benefits)

The Internship will offer up to a 16 week work opportunity at the Yukon Arts Centre Public Art Gallery in presenting/developing visual art exhibitions, managing art programs, and working in collection and arts administration. Particular focus for this job is Outreach art programming and promoting the Gallery through social media. Hands-on experience will be gained through working on exhibitions, events and education programs as part of the Gallery Team at the Yukon Arts Centre, with our programming partners in the community and directly with local and visiting artists.

A knowledge and understanding of the emerging artist community in the Yukon will be beneficial, as will the candidate's intention to build a career in the growing cultural industry sector.

Requirements: This position is funded through Young Canada Works and the Canadian Museums Association which states that students must be registered as a full-time student during the preceding academic year; intend to return to secondary or post-secondary school on a full-time basis during the next academic year; are between 16 and 30 years of age; legally entitled to work in Canada; and not be working 30 hours or more at another job. Students with disabilities, Aboriginal students and students who are members of a visible minority are encouraged to apply.

Applications may be submitted by May 25, 2012:

Preferably by e-mail to Visual Arts Engagement, Jessica Vellenga (867) 393-7109
Or by mail to Box 16, Whitehorse, Yukon, Y1A 5X9
Or dropped off at the Yukon Arts Centre, 300 College Drive, Whitehorse

Photo: bgottsab

Though such a task the Sewing Our Traditions: Dolls of Canada's North exhibition has been packed up and moved to Dawson where it will open during the comming week.

Our Community Gallery holds the works of Virgine Hamel. Her presentation entitled Entre le Rêve et la Mémoire (or Dreaming the Tale) is a series of color pencil drawings on canson paper. Her beautiful technique is minimalistic and surreal and exhibits a thoughful use of crosshatching.

The Youth Gallery is also holding a new work on it's walls. The Kluane Lake School has been so kind as to submit artwork from many grades with a great range of diversity - from painted egg shell mosaics to paper weaves and styrofoam wall plates.

These works will only be up until the 26th so come out and see them soon.

Sometimes people fall into an Opera quite by accident.  If you think you are in an Opera, be calm.  Do not flail.  Keep your voice down.  Stop arguing.

However, it’s sometimes hard to determine whether you’re in an Opera or not.  So we’ve designed these seven easy indicators that you should refer to frequently in case you feel like you may have fallen into one.

1.     You happen to be a scoundrel, a tart, a supernatural figure, or a powerful, but waning despot, or you are in the room with these people.  And they are well-dressed.
2.     Conversations seem to go on and on.  People repeat themselves over and over again, only changing their emphasis on certain words.  Only changing their EMPHASIS on certain words.
3.     You are betrayed over the course of a few days—this will usually involve a love triangle or power triangle.  Just to be certain you know a love triangle when you see it: someone is infatuated with you, while you are in love with someone unattainable; that person is usually a scoundrel, a married person, or a cold, cold heart.
4.     You find it impossible to state your case or defend yourself in less than two hours—and may evolve into a rant, a melodic rant, but a rant nonetheless.
5.     One thing after another happens to you in rapid fashion—so many twists you’d think your life was in braid.
6.     Something explodes around you that doesn’t stop anyone from talking, but actually increases the volume and the speed at which they talk.
7.     Someone, often yourself, dies.

So, if you find yourself dying after an explosion, caused by a betrayal, looking fantastic in a suit or ball gown, as the product of a love triangle that included chatty people—some of them royal, or supernatural, you might be in an Opera.

Stay calm.

The best thing to do is exit gracefully, forcefully, with a spoken plan.  If you can speak another plausible future for yourself, away from the dizzying melodic maelstrom you have gotten yourself into, the audience will believe you.  You can then walk out of this scene, and most certainly live.

If however, you are in a comic opera, and you’re single (which you have to be in a comic opera, I’d think) then you could end up with a husband or a wife.  The clincher is whether there is loudly-stated pride (LSP) followed by acute tragic betrayal (ATB).  If there is ATB, you are in a tragedy---run.  If you can avoid stating your pride or arrogance to a room full of people, you can steer yourself into a comedy.  If you’re in a comedy, and you are hoping for a nice husband or wife, enjoy yourself.  Become a coloratura just for fun.

However, you might be in what is known as a tragic-comic opera---

The only way to explain this one is… to show you. 

MANON, by Massenet, is such a tragic-comic opera.  “Manon is Massenet's most popular and enduring opera and, having ‘quickly conquered the world's stages’, it has maintained an important place in the repertory since its creation. It is the quintessential example of the charm and vitality of the music and culture of the Parisian Belle Époque.”  So says Wikipedia who also puts this creation around 11,000BC and says the opera includes live elephants.

We can believe part of it.  Manon is referred to as an opera comique.  Everyone falls in love with Manon, who’s on her way to a convent.  (Yeah, bad timing.)  And she has a case of rethinking the convent, perhaps to fall in love.  And then people fight over her, and she falls in love with the wrong guy, and goes to a ball, and then she gets ARRESTED.  She was going for the “pure” look and ended up the tart.  And yet, there’s a rescue plan—and well, I won’t reveal more.  The comic part is one thing after another happening.  The tragic part—well, you know what that is.  (Oh, wait. Where do the live elephants come in?  Wikipedia??)

Come see it happen---this is how you will recognize, for SURE, that you are in an opera.  

Anna Netrebko, after playing Anna Bolena, is back.  You’ll love her voice, and that dress.

SUNDAY, APRIL 29, 1pm.  Manon tickets are on sale at the box office, 667-8574, through Arts Underground, or online at www.yukonartscentre.com. 

The Yukon Arts Centre is proud to present Sleep of Reason in our public gallery. Derived from the title of a piece from Fancisco Goya's Los Caprichos, the gallery looks to address the concept of 'the artist as a dreamer' and the weight behind it. Showcased in a number of different medias, the artists let us in to their 'lucid dimension' of which they rely for their creativity and their means to illustrate it.
At first glance, it is hard not to notice the large spiral staircase winding in it's own glory at the far corner of the room but this piece is far from the most interesting in the gallery.

Joseph Tisiga's works - some of my favorites - are in the first room on the right. In the gallery he presents a series of watercolor and an oil painting on canvas. His use of color is very dirty and rusty - heavy with red and browns, capturing a sort of grunge look despite his clean lines. My favorites of his collection are one of his larger pieces titled Preparation for Utopia and the work that is featured as the poster for the gallery.

Rosemary Scanlon also submitted 2 series' of watercolor mixed media paintings - the titles of which being Shadow People of the Alaska Highway and Animal Icons. Animal Icons is a collection of animal portraits whose haunting stares hold your gaze as your pass by. Shadow People on the other hand deals with landscape views of near real places with a spiritual undertone. I personally get caught off guard as I see the vastness of trees and mountains.

The Yukon Arts Centre Gallery and Box Office will close for Easter holiday on April 6 and reopen with regular hours on Tuesday April 10, 2012. We will however be open for the following events:

• April 6: Good Friday Service in the Theatre, 10:00 am to 12:00 pm

• Starting April 8: Non-Denominational Christian Community Meetings at the Old Fire Hall, 7:00 to 8:00 pm (Nightly: April 8 to April 16)

Thanks everyone - have a great long weekend!

Curious about the fibre arts? Interested in knitting, crochet, spinning, weaving, felting, dying textiles or sewing?  Or would you like to learn new fibre arts skills?

Whether you want to improve your existing skills or learn new ones, this is the place.  Please join us for a talk and demonstration from the Northern Fibres Guild.  Guild members will be demonstrating weaving, spinning, silk painting, felting etc.  The talk will focus on the history of the guild, the resources it offers to the community, membership and volunteer opportunities. 

The mandate of the Northern Fibres Guild is to support members in increasing their skills and to provide support and education to the public regarding the fiber arts.

The Northern Fibres Guild Meets on the second Tuesday of each month (excluding June, July, August), at 7pm at B2-302 Steele Street in downtown Whitehorse. New members are always welcome.

Photo by Douglas Drake

How do you shape Canada?  How does Canada shape you? 
We're calling on young Canadians to explore, express, and showcase their individual and collective identities!

When do you feel most Canadian? And if you could express it creatively, through any medium, what would you create?

Need ideas? Check out the video

Submit your artwork today! Defining Moments is accepting photographs, paintings, videos and much more from young artists across the country. Join us by sharing your story through creative expression!
Defining Moments: Discovering Our Canadian Stories invites you to submit artwork that expresses your personal relationship with Canada. Offered by TakingITGlobal and supported by Canadian Heritage, Defining Moments is a national digital media arts and citizenship project, taking participants on a journey through accounts of Canadian identity. Open to 13 to 30 year olds across the country, we will be showcasing the artwork of young Canadians here on the Defining Moments website and a traveling exhibit. Stay tuned for our online collection, dates for workshops and exhibits near you!
Participants will have a chance of winning fantastic prizes including a trip to Ottawa!   Deadline March 1, 2012

What is your Defining Moment?

For more info check out the website or find us on Facebook or Twitter

February 19 from 12-3pm.

Musical Jam! - We’ll be rocking out at KidsFest with the Frostbite crew making and decorating our own musical instruments.

Kids Fest is a family event with live music, games, clowns, candy apples and more! This year's theme is Carnival! Face painting, colouring, crafts and world class entertainers - bring your family and dance the day away.

Location: Frostbite Main Stage at Yukon College

Single tickets to Sunday KidsFest sold separately $5 at the door.

This is partnership between the Frostbite Music Festival, Boys and Girls Club and the Yukon Arts Centre Public Art Gallery.

Dan Sokolowski has crafted a beautiful film, Degrees North, taking viewers to places all over Canada--landscapes, waterscapes, airscapes, escapes. 

He's now created an installation you have to see to experience. 

STUDIO THEATRE installation: Degrees North

Dividing up his film into three distinct themes: air, earth and water---he's placed those images from the film on three separate screens that surround the viewer.  Feel free to sit on the bench in the middle, or walk around the outside of this installation and touch the sheets/screens.  Also, feel free to stand up and block part of the image with your own shadow.  Dan says, "It puts you in the picture!" 

I find it peaceful and creatively stimulating.  Sit there and relax and wherever you turn your head you see landscapes of the north, of Canada. 

Come see this highly interactive installation now.  It's only up till Sunday.  Sponsored by YFS and YAC. 

The Lonely Surfer Squaw (1997-)

Curious about performance art? Want to add performance to your art practice? Stop by the Old Fire Hall Sunday evening, Feb 12, 7pm, for a talk on performance art by Lori Blondeau.   Lori will give a talk on how she uses performance art in her practice and show images and video of her past work. 

Check out the Canadian Art  article:  Scandalous Personas, Difficult Knowledge, Restless Images - The work of Lori Blondeau  by Lynne Bell

Artist Statement  

The images of the Indian Princess and Squaw have had a significant impact on societies’ perception of Indian women and serve as inspirations for most of my work. Surprisingly, we still see popularized images of the Indian Princess being created by both native and non-native people. You can find these products being sold in Indian Museums and souvenir shops across North America. These are testament to the general public’s idealized perception of beautiful Native women as being exotic and hard to find – virtually non-existent. The other side of the Indian Princess is, of course, the squaw – another of societies’ iconic scapegoats meant to desensitize both the general public’s view of Indian women (their political, historical and social issues as well), and the self perception among Native women themselves.
My work explores the influence of popular media and culture (contemporary and historical) on Aboriginal self-identity, self-image, and self-definition. I am currently exploring the impact of colonization on traditional and contemporary roles and lifestyles of aboriginal women. I deconstruct the images of the Indian Princess and the Squaw and reconstruct an image of absurdity and insert these hybrids into the mainstream. The performance personas I have created refer to the damage of colonialism and to the ironic pleasures of displacement and resistance.

Biography

Born and raised in Saskatchewan where she is member of the George Gordon First Nation Lori Blondeau draws from her family history in the scripting and design of her campy, satirical, performance art productions. Blondeau’s stage persona ‘Belle Sauvage’ is loosely based on Indigenous women who performed in Wild West shows and Vaudeville acts in the early 20th century, and spoofing the 50’s film  Calamity Jane, in which Doris Day performed as a cross-dressing, gender-bending white cowgirl. Blondeau’s performance art remix of the
  Wild West presents a post-colonial reading of the narratives of Hollywood white pop culture. In her work she addresses the importance of maintaining one’s identity and beliefs as a First Nations person, and living and working in mainstream society. Blondeau confronts and co-opts conventional stereotypes in her pointed and disarmingly humorous take on contemporary art and society. In addition to her active exhibition career Lori Blondeau is the former director of Tribe, a First Nations arts organization in Saskatoon. Through this organization and related activities she is in close contact with the Indigenous art communities in Canada and the US. Most recently she has relocated to Pauma Valley, California.

Admission is by donation.

This presentation has been made possible thanks to the Yukon School of Visual Arts' Visiting Aboriginal Artists Program.  For more information about this program, please contact info @ yukonsova.ca