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Kluane National Park Artist Residency

Photo courtesy of Kluane Lake Research Station

2024 applications are now closed.

The Kluane National Park Artist Residency provides an opportunity for established visual artists to pursue work that brings together science and art through connection with the spectacular landscape of Kluane National Park and Reserve in the southwest Yukon.

With the support of the Yukon Arts Centre, Parks Canada and the Arctic Institute of North America, at the University of Calgary’s Kluane Lake Research Station (KLRS), artists are given valuable time to retreat, reflect, and focus on their work with access to researchers and scientists. The residency is the perfect setting to explore the interplay between science, conservation, and art, and give artists a chance to share and connect with people from all over the world.

About Kluane National Park and Reserve

The heart of Kluane National Park and Reserve is the St. Elias Mountains, among the youngest and largest mountains in North America. This vast wilderness area is part of a World Heritage Site and is home to some of the largest non-polar icefields and valley glaciers in the world. The park’s high mountain peaks, alpine tundra, montane forests and glacial fed rivers provide critical habitat for abundant wildlife and is the homeland of the Southern Tutchone people. Champagne and Aishihik First Nations and the Kluane First Nation, together with Parks Canada, cooperatively manage this special place.

About the Arctic Institute of North America, at the University of Calgary

The Arctic Institute of North America is Canada’s first and longest-lived Arctic research institute. Our mandate is to advance the study of the North American and circumpolar Arctic through the natural and social sciences, the arts and humanities, and to acquire, preserve and disseminate information on the physical, environmental and social conditions in the North. We strive to meet that mandate through research, education and public engagement and through our data and information services. The Kluane Lake Research Station (KLRS) is located 220 km northwest of Whitehorse, Yukon, on the south shore of Kluane Lake (Lhù’ààn Mânʼ), on the traditional lands of the Kluane, Champagne and Aishihik, and White River First Nations. The station was established in 1961 and has provided support to researchers from across Canada and around the world since that time.

About the Yukon Arts Centre

The Yukon Arts Centre (YAC) is the Yukon’s creative home. YAC was founded to be a resource for Northern artists and to reflect and support the artistic ambition and aesthetic of local and regional community organizations. YAC’s programming directions span the visual arts, performing arts, presenting, training, residencies, and community outreach. Our team prioritizes collaborations and partnerships within the Territory and across the North. We also strongly value education through outreach models that create meaningful interaction with curated and/or visiting artists and our community. Our programming continues to be responsive and aspires to have an inclusive approach that welcomes and encourages connection with First Nations, LGBTQ2S+, Differently-Abled, and Cultural Diverse artists and audiences.

Cette information est également disponible en français sur demande. This information is available in French upon request.

Artist Misha Donohoe talks about her residency experience

Eligibility

  • This residency is open to Canadian applicants  
  • Two artists, one Northern Artist and one Artist from Canada, will be selected for 2025
  • Northern Artist is defined as from Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Nunavik (northern Quebec) and Nunatsiavut (northern Labrador) including Indigenous artists from these regions living elsewhere in Canada.
  • Preference will be given to qualified candidates who self-identify as Yukon First Nation or another Canadian Indigenous ancestry.

About the Residency

  • There are two separate 2-week residencies available each year. These are to occur between late June to August of 2025.
  •  During the residency artists will be expected to present
    • three public workshops, talks, demonstrations, or events
    • two ‘artist at work’ drop in sessions
  • These programs will be planned and delivered in collaboration with Parks Canada and Kluane Lake Research Station staff. The possible locations for these programs are the Kathleen Lake day use area, the Thechàl Dhâl’ Visitor Centre, and the Kluane Lake Research Station.
  • Artists will provide Partners with at least one image of a work that was initiated or worked on during the residency (by November 31st).

Residency Includes:

  • $3000 CAD honorarium from the Yukon Arts Centre.
  • Accommodations and meals for two weeks in a cabin at the Kluane Lake Research Station which is located 220 km northwest of Whitehorse, Yukon, on the south shore of Kluane Lake (Lhù’ààn Mânʼ). The research station is close to the northern limit of Kluane National Park and Reserve and is located equidistant to Burwash Landing and Haines Junction, Yukon.
  • Artists are responsible for their own transportation to and from the residency. A vehicle is strongly recommended during the residency.
  • Basic art supplies for participants attending public programs will be provided.
  • Artists will have opportunities to access scientists, ecological experts, and Parks Canada staff to help inspire their work and plan their public programs.
  • Artists will be given access to the two Kluane National Park Visitor Centres and to any public spaces in the park. Please note that Kluane National Park is a remote wilderness park. To access the majority of the park requires hiking or other forms of non-motorized travel.

Things to Consider

  • The Kluane Lake Research Station is located 62 km from the community of Haines Junction on the Alaska Highway. The community of Haines Junction has a grocery store, gas stations, restaurants, medical services, a laundromat, and other amenities. KLRS is 220 km from Whitehorse.
  • Artists are responsible for their own transportation to and from the residency. A vehicle is strongly recommended during the residency. 
  • Please ensure that you obtain appropriate travel insurance for your visit to avoid any medical expenses. The nearest nurse’s stations to the KLRS are at Destruction Bay (~40 km) and Haines Junction (~60 km).
  • KLRS is an off-grid facility powered mainly by solar energy. Although the Artists will have a private cabin, the eating, work, and leisure spaces are shared. A washhouse facility has toilets and showers with hot water. There is no cell reception at the station. Power and limited wifi are available in common spaces, but not in cabins. Meals are prepared by a full-time Chef and we cater to variety of dietary needs. For more information and a virtual tour, see KLRS.ca
  • Artists may have the option to extend their residency at KLRS at Category 4 rates (approximately $150 per night). Please note extensions are subject to station availability.
  • Ground surface around the research station is unpaved, and some areas of the site, like the beach, are only accessible by foot.
  • Kathleen Lake day use area does not have electricity, wifi or reliable cell service.
  • There is an enclosed day use shelter at Kathleen Lake with windows looking onto the lake and surrounding mountains.
  • Please note Artists are prohibited from selling their art at the public workshops or during their residency under Parks Canada regulations.

Deadline

February 15, 2024 at 5 pm Yukon Time.

All applicants will be reviewed by a committee consisting of representatives from the Yukon Arts Centre, Parks Canada, and Kluane Lake Research Station. Selections will be made within eight weeks after the deadline.

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