Emerging North

I had the privilege of curating Emerging North at the Yukon Arts Centre

March 13 – August 28, 2020

Emerging North responded to the 50th Anniversary of the Arctic Winter Games. (On March 7, officials announced the Games were cancelled due to concerns over the spread of COVID-19). The Arctic Winter Games was scheduled to be held in Whitehorse, Yukon in March 2020 with nearly 2,000 young athletes travelling from afar to attend the Games.

Emerging North echoes the Arctic Winter Games’ values of the spirit of togetherness, legacy building, and Northern pride. Emerging North is a celebration of young Indigenous artistic achievement. Many of the artists included in this exhibition have not been shown in the Yukon Arts Centre’s Main Gallery before and are considered “emerging” artists or at the beginning of their careers. Artists were identified by their diverse representation, prowess, and array of artistic mediums.

Kaylyn Baker, Krystle Coughlin Silverfox, Violet Gatensby, Blake Shaa’koon Lepine, Cole Pauls and Heather Von Steinhagen were approached to create new artworks for Emerging North. In addition, previously created artworks by Benjamin Gribben and Jeneen Frei Njootli were selected from the Yukon Permanent Art Collection for their connection to the overall theme and their significance in artistic excellence.

Artists were offered one of the largest exhibition spaces in Yukon which provided an opportunity for young Indigenous artists to discover, learn, and develop new works that they may otherwise not have created. Through a wide range of media including paintings, print work, carvings, beadwork, illustration, sculpture, and installation art; these artists activate the Yukon Arts Centre’s Main Gallery in a playful and experimental capacity exploring themes of shared northern experiences, Indigenous futurisms, and the relationship between culture and play.

Tsin’įį choh; A special thank you to Mary Bradshaw, Yukon Arts Centre, Arctic Winter Games and Lotteries Yukon, Garnet Muething, Friends of the Yukon Permanent Art Collection, Mimmo Maiolo, Guillaume Riocreux, and finally to the artists whom I am honoured to have worked with: Kaylyn Baker, Krystle Coughlin Silverfox, Jeneen Frei Njootli, Violet Gatensby, Benjamin Gribben, Blake Shaa’koon Lepine, Cole Pauls, and Heather Von Steinhagen.

All copyrights are retained by the individual artists.

Click to view virtual tour: Emerging North Exhibit Tour

Click to view artist talk: Emerging North Artist Talk

Guardians of the Portal (2019) acrylic paint on birch door by Blake Shaa’koon Lepine — *Guardians of the Portal* (2019) acrylic paint on birch door by Blake Shaa’koon Lepine

Paradise (2020) wood panel, acrylic paint, glow powder, canvas, and resin with video projection, spray paint on wood by Heather Von Steinhagen

The Battle Between Octopus and Squid (2017) yellow cedar, acrylic, sinew by Benjamin Gribben

Courtesy of the Yukon Permanent Art Collection

Diving Shark (2011) yellow cedar, acrylic, abalone, black twine by Benjamin Gribben

Courtesy of the Yukon Permanent Art Collection

Arctic Winter Games (2020) woodblock print, acrylic paint by Blake Shaa’koon Lepine

Pole Push, Knuckle Hop, Finger Pull, One Foot High Kick, Snowsnake (2020) all artworks ink on paper by Cole Pauls

1986 (2020) moose antler, oil paint, red fox fur, birch bark, sweet grass, abalone, bugle beads, 24 karat gold beads, caribou hair, embroidery by Kaylyn Baker