An exhibition series, developed with the Yukon Art Centre, University of Lethbridge Art Gallery, and McMaster Museum of Art, that explores the relationship between humans and soil, reframing soil not merely as dirt or a resource to be used, but as a living, dynamic, and relational medium that records geological, social, and cultural memories.
Artists: Api’soomaahka (Running Coyote) / William Singer III, Alana Bartol, Hannah Berger, Beany Dootjes, David Janzen, Jackie Olson, Ed Pien, Karin Van Dam, Michelle Wilson
Exhibit runs June 5 – Aug 28 2026
With thanks to our funders and supporters for making this exhibition possible, including the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), the Canada Council for the Arts, and especially the Soil Champions Committee (Soil Conservation Council of Canada).
Curator statement:
(Re)mediating Soils: Storied Soils is the result of a collaboration between the University of Lethbridge Art Gallery, the Yukon Arts Centre, the Woodstock Art Gallery, and the McMaster Museum of Art. It is the second exhibition in a series that will travel across Canada. Supported by a SSHRC-funded research project, the initiative brings together artists, scientists, cultural scholars, gardeners, and farmers through residencies in the Yukon, Treaty 7 Territory/Alberta, and Ontario to explore soil as a living, relational medium.
Soil is so much more than dirt. It is the result of countless interactions unfolding over time and is fundamental to life on this planet. Soil is home to microorganisms, fungi, insects, plants, and complex networks of relationships that sustain the ecosystems we depend on.
The Yukon Arts Centre’s involvement in this project is grounded in the Yukon’s deep and enduring relationship to land. Here, soil cannot be understood in isolation. It exists in relationship with forests, rivers, animals, and the people who have lived with and cared for this place for generations. Land is not viewed as a collection of separate elements but as an interconnected whole, where every part influences the others.
This understanding aligns closely with the vision of the (Re)mediating Soils project. Early in the process, project lead Kate Lawless shared a phrase that resonated deeply with both the artists and our team: “Soil is life.” That simple statement captures the project’s expansive view of soil as a living system: one that holds memory, sustains ecosystems, and shapes cultural, social, and environmental relationships.
Unlike Alberta and southern Ontario, the Yukon is not defined by large-scale agriculture. Growing food here requires adaptation to a short but intensely light-filled season, where attentiveness, patience, and resilience are essential. During their off-grid residency outside Dawson City and at the Kluane Lake Research Station, participating artists and soil scientists experienced these conditions firsthand. Living and working closely with the land, they encountered soil not as an abstract subject of study but as an active presence that informs artistic practice and invites broader conversations about care, stewardship, sustainability, and our responsibilities to one another and the environments we inhabit.
At its core, (Re)mediating Soils recognizes that art and soil share important qualities. Both encourage us to slow down, observe closely, and attend to processes that are often overlooked. Soil works quietly beneath our feet, sustaining life without demanding attention. Through this exhibition, the project team hopes to bring greater awareness to the vital role soil plays in our lives while supporting artists whose work explores the intersections of ecology, place, knowledge, and community.
The exhibition brings together works that will travel to each venue alongside site-responsive installations developed for local audiences and landscapes, ensuring that each presentation is both connected to the larger project and rooted in the unique character of place.
— Josephine Mills (University of Lethbridge Art Gallery) and Mary Bradshaw (Yukon Arts Centre)
