Join us for the opening reception on June 5, 5-7pm. There will be drinks and appies.
In Northern Light brings together a selection of works from the Yukon Arts Centre’s Permanent Art Collection that celebrate the distinct and transformative light of the North. From the endless glow of summer’s midnight sun to the shimmer of winter stars, this exhibition explores how artists have responded to our ever shifting light.
The newest addition to our collection, a stunning beadwork triptych by Vuntut Gwitch’n artist Shirlee Frost, anchors this exhibition. Her work reflects the winter sky and the stars overhead – both those above and those, as she notes, “born on the Arts Centre’s stage.” The icy blues and purples suggest a crisp winter night, yet also evokes the bloom of summer, echoing Clara Lucas Balfour’s quote: “Are not flowers the stars of the earth?”
Other works chart the changing seasons through the lens of northern light. Shane Wilson’s Candle Ice crackles with the energy of spring break-up, while Alice Park Spurr’s Spirit captures the quiet moments as snow gives way to new life. From Berteig’s abstracted arctic landscapes, Harrison’s dramatic skies, to Landon Mackenzie’s vibrant homage to the Yukon summer solstice, these pieces trace cycles of light and shadow, transformation and stillness.
The exhibition moves between micro and macro, from Ron Bolt’s monumental rendering of lichen in Yukon Micro, to Michael Belmore’s Tendency, a copper topography of the Wind River Valley that meditates on land, beauty, extraction, and Indigenous sovereignty.
At its heart, In Northern Light speaks to the enduring presence of the northern sky, with its drama, subtlety, and power to hold the visions of artists across time, territory, and medium.
Top image: Ted Harrison, Lone Woman With Ravens.
